Degrees of Deception
by IBACULLEN
Summary: Easy breezy Bella goes to work at The Cullen Conglomerate believing she is there due to her unfortunate circumstances. Everything went according to Edward's plan except one tiny snafu. Both have secrets they must keep. Both must lie in order to keep their relationship. Dishonesty may be what gets them killed. AH HEA. Cannon.
1. Chapter 1

I'd heard it said your life flashed before your eyes when you thought you were about to die. There was a gun being waved around in my face, as I walked into the windowless freezer vault. Six guys dressed in expensive-assed suits stood around, waiting for my arrival.

I saw Edward off to the side in a chair, and man, did he look pissed. He had said he would kill me himself if I came here tonight, and at that precise moment, I wasn't sure who I should be more afraid of…the baboon holding the gun on me, or him.

 _It's okay, Edward. If we both survive this, I can teach you the fundamentals of make-up sex. If we're killed, at least you didn't die a virgin, thanks to me._

I wanted to give myself a high-five for that one, but I knew any sudden movement on my part might cause a nasty and probably deadly turn of events.

Edward shook his head ever so slightly and gave me a menacing stare. I didn't know why he had his boxers in a twist. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be in this mess. Hell, if it weren't for him, my life might have gone completely different. I never knew just how much my life had been dictated by Edward. Like some crappy plastic chess piece, Edward had played me around his board for years without my knowledge. As pissed off as it made me when I had found out, I was glad he had done what he had. I was better for knowing him. I just wished I'd had the balls to say the three words he was dying to hear before now.

My life didn't flash before me. Instead, I began to think about how we had all come to be here at this precise moment.

If Edward's mind had been telling this story, I was sure he would have started back where we had first met. Years and years ago, before I would come to be his second assistant. But since my mind was the one replaying the video…for me, it had all really started a bit later than that.

When I had taken that job at The Cullen Conglomerate, it had never made sense that a girl with only retail experience would be "uniquely qualified" to be the second assistant to the owner and chief executive officer of a multi-billion-dollar company. I wanted to pat myself on the back. When I had first arrived, I hadn't even known what CEO stood for, and now, just look at me! Using it in a sentence, like I knew what it meant. Uniquely qualified my ass!

My dad's passing, though, had been when I'd thought my bad luck had truly first begun. My dad and I hadn't been particularly close, so it wasn't exactly heart-wrenching when he passed away, even if we had lived together. Out of sheer necessity, I'd assure you. Seriously, what twenty-four-year-old would voluntarily live with their parents?

In the days that had followed his passing, any sympathy I'd had for my father had quickly vanished. I had been notified of his demise on a Tuesday. One week later, I had learned my father's enormous gambling problem had led to all his assets being seized, including the house I had grown up in and anything of value he hadn't pawned. I had found out the hard way that he had owed quite a bit of money, because suddenly, I had been forced out of my home, leading to the chain of events that had landed us here today...

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

"Good news, Bella! We found a buyer for the house, and I'm not exactly sure why, but he's willing to pay nearly double your asking price. It'll clear up all your debts…I mean, your father's debts."

I looked passively at my Realtor. I was sure she was excited about the sale. The roots from her dye-job were showing through, and her shoes were scuffed, with set creases in the cheap leather. It was clear she was probably about as desperate as I was.

"Lucky me." My words were biting. "I don't care. Do whatever you need to do and then send me the papers to sign. I already took what I wanted. The rest can go to Goodwill." The rest is only junk. Anything of any value had already been hocked by my dad for gambling money or confiscated.

My Realtor was taken aback by my apathy. I stood up from the rickety kitchen table. The damn thing swayed to the left. I grabbed my backpack and put on my work vest, with my name tag and all.

"I have to get to my shift. You can see yourself out. Take whatever you like."

My feet bounded down the three front steps, as I pulled on my coat to begin my trek to Newman's Outdoor Supplies. My car had mysteriously died the day after my father. Ironic. There was no way I could begin to afford to fix it, unless sexual favors were an option, so now, I was forced to walk to my shitty job.

I trudged through the mud along the road, and since I lived in one of the rainiest shitholes on the earth, my walk quickly drenched me. Cold and already in a foul mood, I arrived at the outdated crap shop I was fortunate enough to be employed at.

"Bella!" Mrs. Newton announced upon seeing me. "I tried calling you, but your phone said it was no longer in service."

I couldn't afford the bill.

"What's up?" I asked, already worried about the answer. If she had tried to call me, it was clear she probably had been planning to ask me not to come in. Mrs. Newton cringed, as she placed a stray hair back behind her ear before she gathered up the nerve to reply.

"We…were bought out last night. The new owners want us to cease sales ASAP. I have your last check, plus a decent severance…I hope it can help," she said, obviously hoping to alleviate her guilt for leaving me without a job.

I wanted to laugh, but I didn't. Instead, I snatched my paycheck from her wrinkled hand and turned around without a word. I mean honestly, who but me would lose their father, home, car, and job, all in one week. I didn't know what mirror I had broken, but it was sure biting me in the ass.

"Bella!" Mrs. Newton called out. "The new owner…he said he understands what a hardship this is on our employees. He said he has many openings within his company. Just tell them you worked at Newman's, and he'll have HR see what they can do. I put his business card in your envelope…"

I didn't wait for her to finish. I wasn't about to go and work for some asshole who had taken my job, even if it was a shitty one. With no place to go, I went to deposit my last check into the bank, but it hadn't opened yet, and the ATM was out of order. I slid down against the building under their awning to wait. I had no idea what I was going to do now. I couldn't afford another night in the roach motel I had been living out of. The idea of going back there depressed me, even if I did have the funds to cover the room.

The rain was still coming down steadily. I needed to find a place to stay for the night. All my high school friends had been smart enough to get out of this town the second they had graduated, so I didn't have any of them still around here who could let me couch ride for a minute, while I found another job. In my mind, I ran through every possibility.

Rosalie.

She was this gorgeous supermodel girl I had met at a club in Seattle last year. Big boobs. Big blonde hair. The kind of girl who made you feel like the before picture. We clicked and became good friends almost instantly. At the time, she was well on the road to becoming America's next top whatever, but then she suddenly wasn't having any luck booking gigs and ended up at a square job. She lived in Seattle and told me if I ever needed a place to stay, I could call her.

I pulled myself up from off the wall and ran out into the rain to head for the last payphone in Forks. I huddled in the small box, relieved to be out of the freezing rain darts. I scrounged around in my purse for the exact change and began to dial.

"Hello?" Rosalie sang into the phone.

"Hey, Rosalie, it's Bella," I said through my chattering teeth.

"Hey, B! What is up in Knives?"

"Forks," I corrected her, "Although, I wished it was called Knives. I could really use one about now."

"Damn! Depressed much?"

I sighed and looked out at the sky to see lightning brighten the ominous dark clouds. I waited for the thunder and counted to see how far off it was.

"Hello!" Rosalie grunted into the phone.

"Sorry. Hey, do you think it'd be okay if I came and slept on your couch for a few days? I just lost my job…and I don't have anywhere to go."

I hated how pathetic I sounded.

"Absolutely! But I don't have a couch. Sorry, my place sucks."

"If it has four walls and a roof, you're already miles ahead of me. No worries, I can sleep on the floor. I'm hoping I can find a job quick. How is Seattle's employment rate?" I joked.

"Apparently, a lot better than Knives. Don't worry, if you can't find something, I know my company is hiring. I hate to send you there, though, if you have another option. That dickwad, Cullen, barely pays over minimum. I swear, the richer they are, the more they screw over their employees!"

At this point, anything would be preferable to mooching off my friend.

"I'll take it. I've gotta go, though, if I'm going to catch the last bus out of here. I'll see you in a few hours."

I hung up and was happy that, at the very least, I had a plan. Maybe Seattle was just the change I needed. I had no reason to hang around Forks now. Maybe my life could finally begin in the big city.

I loaded up at the vending machine in the bus depot before boarding my bus. I found that Doritos could make a very satisfying dinner when needed. I watched as the bus passed by the various landmarks I had been accustomed to seeing since my family had come to live here in Forks. I couldn't believe I was finally getting out. I might have jumped into the aisle and did the Cabbage Patch if I didn't think it would get me thrown off the bus.

By the time I had arrived in Seattle, my clothes had dried from the downpour I had faced in Forks. However, it was still raining in Seattle, so by the time I had walked to Rosalie's apartment, I was drenched once again. Rosalie's apartment appeared to be in a bad part of town. I had only been to Seattle once before, on a class trip to the Space Needle, so I never saw the bad parts of Seattle. Now, I was getting the ultimate high-definition tour experience. I was sure I tripped over a dead guy's foot, but maybe he was just passed out drunk. I clung to my backpack, knowing it held everything I had left in the world.

I looked behind me and saw some tall creeper walking about a block away from me. Warning bells began to go off, and I suddenly wished I could have kept my dad's gun. I quickened my pace and frantically looked for Rosalie's apartment building. I saw it up ahead and practically sprinted the rest of the way.

I climbed the stairs to the second floor and looked for number twelve. The door to number twelve had paint peeling off it. When I knocked on it, it felt like it wouldn't take much effort to break it down. I looked down and saw no sign of the tall creeper. I felt silly. I was overreacting. I couldn't believe I'd let my panties get in a twist over nothing. My overactive imagination, believing I was being followed, it was ridiculous!

"Hey! You made it." Rosalie opened her door wide enough for me to come in and then quickly slammed it shut behind me. She began to go down the door and fasten each lock, five in total.

"Yes, and I see you've already started off the ritual with locks and chains. Never saw you as that kind of girl," I joked.

"You have no idea. This area isn't the best. It's this and the gun under my pillow that keeps me safe at night," Rosalie replied.

"Oh, I get it. In fact, I swear some creeper dude was following me tonight. If your place had been much farther, I might've ended the night in some asshole's basement having my skin peeled off."

Rosalie laughed. "Well, from what I hear, you're into that freaky shit."

I sat on the floor next to Rosalie's coffee table and spent the next hour catching her up on my life and misfortunes over a couple of beers. The place on the carpet where I was sitting was to be my new bed. The carpet wasn't too bad, and who was I to complain. At least I was out of the rain, and Rosalie's heater was working.

"I can't believe Newman's didn't give you more notice. I mean, no one just sells their store overnight. They had to have known about the buyout sooner. You've been their loyal employee for years. A little heads up would've been decent," Rosalie ranted.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I wasn't exactly employee of the month, but you're right! It was fucked up of them. Now, all I have is a check for four-hundred and ninety-two dollars and a business card from some asshole who took my job away," I said, pulling the envelope out of my pocket.

I opened it up, and the business card fell to the carpet. Rosalie snatched it up for inspection.

"Holy crap! Edward Cullen bought your store? He's the asshole I work for," Rosalie said.

"Who the hell is Edward Cullen?"

Rosalie made a face.

"He's this hottie billionaire. He owns and runs Cullen Conglomerate. The tallest commercial building in Seattle."

"What the hell is a conglomerate?" I asked.

Rosalie shrugged and gave me a confused look. I was glad I wasn't the only one who needed a dictionary.

"Hell, if I know. I work in his payroll department as an assistant. Asshole hasn't given me a raise in two years. I barely make over minimum wage. He's cute but weird. I mean, really weird. Whenever I've seen him, he seems to be awkward and unable to be among us humans. He's the kind of guy you totally swipe right for, and then you find out he lives in his mother's basement, doing god knows what down there."

I laughed because that happened to me often when I would swipe right. Ah, you had to love Tinder lingo.

"Well, I don't know or care who he is. He offered us Newman employees a job if we wanted it. I'm not sure if I want to work for the asshole who put me out of a job, but as you can see, beggars can't be choosers."

Rosalie got up from the floor and handed me back the business card before she gathered the empty beer bottles to deposit them into her recycling bucket.

"If you want a job, I can introduce you to Nancy in HR tomorrow. But, as I said, don't expect too much over minimum wage. The billionaire is a tight ass with his money."

I thought about it for a minute. I looked at the card in my hand and the fancy embossing job someone had done on them. I had never worked in an office setting before, but if Rosalie could manage, I was sure I could try. I mean, it wasn't like they were going to make me a manager my first day out.

"I think I'll go with you tomorrow. You never know. Maybe this is the beginning of something fantabulous."

"Do you have anything to wear?" Rosalie asked, looking me over.

I looked down at my jeans and pocket sweatshirt and shook my head.

"I guess I know where this last check is going tomorrow. Maybe you can show me a cheap clothing store."

Rosalie walked over to her room and came back with a fancy outfit on a hanger and a pair of heels.

"Wear this tomorrow, and we can go shopping this weekend, once we find out what department they'll set you up in," she offered.

"Geez, Rosalie. You don't have to do that. You're already taking care of me like I was some stray cat."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head at me.

"It's fine. Really. Just be sure to shave your whole legs. This skirt is a little high, but if we can get Tyler Crowley to interview you, I'm sure it'll win you any position you could ask for. Just be careful with Tyler. Even though he's in Human Resources, he never got the memo on sexual harassment. It amazes me in this day and age that someone could get away with it."

Rosalie went to bed shortly afterward. She wanted to get to work by eight o'clock the next morning, so she could take the time to show me around. She said she would wake me up at six o'clock to get ready. She was amazing. A real angel. After everything I had been through the past few weeks, I was finally feeling like my luck was about to change for the better.

I got up from the hard floor and went to grab a glass of water. I stood in Rosalie's tiny kitchen and looked out the window, down at the street below. Across from the apartment was a small row of stores and businesses. I squinted my eyes and could see a man standing on the stoop of one of the stores. He had the same shape as the man I had thought was following me earlier. I saw him light up a cigarette, and a chill ran down my spine. I put the glass back on the counter and calmed myself down. He was probably a vagrant, looking for dry shelter from the rain.

I sighed and went back to my makeshift bed and forgot about the creeper. I had enough to worry about. Tomorrow, I would need to make a good first impression, as I attempted to become employed doing a job I had never done before in my life.

The rain lulled me to sleep. Even though I hated walking in it, I did love going to sleep hearing it. When Rosalie woke me the next morning, my back hurt from the floor, and I was a little too grumpy, but that wasn't anything new.

The skirt Rosalie provided was embarrassingly tight. I was worried that, if I sat down, a seam would burst. I tried to get Rosalie to find me something else, but she kept stating that it was supposed to be that tight. I tried to explain that, if the seam were to burst, then I would no longer be able to show my face at Cullen…whatever it was called again.

"Stop fussing with the skirt. It's hot, and you're hot in it. That skirt is going to land you an amazing job!" Rosalie smacked my hand away, as I attempted to pull it down. We were standing on the bus and holding onto the rails, as we made our way to Rosalie's place of employment.

I could feel every guy's eyes on me, and it made me cringe. Not that I wasn't up for a little fun, but there was a time and a place for everything. With my nerves being nearly fried, now was not the time to think about sex. _Ah, sex…it's been far too long, my friend._

"We're here," Rosalie announced.

We stepped off the bus, and my gaze traveled up the ginormous building in front of us. I wasn't a huge fan of heights, so I prayed that whatever job was offered to me would be closer to the ground. Perhaps the mailroom in the basement.

I nearly stumbled on those damn high heels Rosalie had forced me into when we approached the revolving door. Everything in the building was so shiny and polished. I wondered if my immune system was silently thanking the cleaning crew. With the number of employees this place held, it amazed me you couldn't find more fingerprints. Even the panel where Rosalie pressed the elevator button was spotless. We walked into the elevator car, and I saw someone dressed in a uniform come up and wiped the panel Rosalie had just sullied. Perhaps, I would find a cleaning crew position. It wouldn't be a half-bad job to walk around with a rag and clean elevator button panels.

"Come on," Rosalie said to bring me out of my musings.

Our heels clacked on the bright white polished floors. I had to say, if this Edward Cullen was as stingy as Rosalie made him out to be, he took that money for raises and put it into maintaining this impressive shiny building.

"Is Tyler in?" Rosalie asked a small round girl at the front desk.

"You know Tyler never comes in this early. Nancy is here, however," the young girl replied.

Rosalie made a face and was about to say something when another older lady popped out from her office.

"Did someone say my name?"

Nancy wore the epitome of what I thought an office person would wear. A bland wool short suit coat and matching skirt.

"Hey, Nancy. This is Isabella Swan. She's from…"

Rosalie never had a chance to even finish her sentence.

"Newman's! Yes, Isabella Swan," Nancy replied. She shook her head a little when looking me over, almost as if she was staring at a mirage. "You may go, Rosalie. I can take it from here."

Rosalie gave me a look, and I shrugged in reply. This Nancy seemed a little too happy to find a former retail clerk standing in front of her.

"Why don't you come into my office, and we can get you squared away," Nancy said, holding her hand out toward her door.

I timidly walked forward, wondering how far down the rabbit hole I was willing to go. My Spidey senses told me everything seemed a little off.

"How did you know who I was?" I asked, trying not to sound accusatory.

Nancy walked in and shut the door behind her. She went around to her sleek glass desk and sat down in her high-backed leather chair.

"I was given a shortlist of candidates to look out for. Mr. Cullen felt horrible for having to let so many employees go without notice. He wanted to make sure anyone at Newman's who wanted a job got one," she explained.

"O-kay…" I replied. It seemed a little odd that a billionaire would worry about the employees of a small crap camping and hunting retail shop in the-middle-of-nowhere Forks.

"Why don't you fill out this paperwork, and I'll show you to your new position." Nancy handed me a huge stack of papers, and I absently flipped through them.

"What position are you hiring for?" I asked.

"Well, I was told you're uniquely qualified, so we have something ready that I'm sure will suit your needs."

Uniquely qualified?" Just what the hell was I going to be doing? I had spent the past seven years at a store selling hunting and camping gear.

I filled out the forms as best as I could for someone who didn't have an address, phone number and such. The only things I was able to fill in was my name and social security number. The mound of paperwork was thick, and I mostly flipped through the pages, looking for the empty lines to sign.

Once I was finished, Nancy didn't even look over my forms. She just stuffed them into her drawer and stood up, ready to show me to my new office. We went to the elevators, and my stomach almost dropped into my feet, when she pressed the button indicating the top floor. The Seventieth-seventh floor!

I felt my palms begin to sweat, as the elevator rose toward our destination. Images of falling to my death flashed through my mind. Movies like _Speed_ and remembering the Twin Towers nearly made me throw up, when the elevator pinged at our arrival, and the doors finally opened.

I tried to shake from my head where I was. It was easy to do when there wasn't a window in sight to remind me how high up I was. I could pretend I was safely on the ground floor in some mailroom, where I obviously should have been placed.

Another young girl approached, and she was dressed impeccably. Every piece on her was designer, and not just designer, like low-end designer such as Coach, but like the really good shit.

"Jessica, I want to introduce you to Isabella Swan. She'll be Mr. Cullen's second. Please, show her around."

Jessica looked me over, and her face read what I was thinking. What the hell was I doing here? Even I knew I shouldn't be on this high of a floor, working for…Mr. Cullen? I wanted to tell Nancy that a mistake had been made, but I couldn't find my voice box. It was probably still down on the twentieth floor in HR.

Nancy left, and Jessica sighed and looked back at me.

"Isabella, is it?" she asked. "Follow me."

I looked around at the floor, as we walked towards Jessica's office. The place looked like something I might see if I was dead and had been a good girl. Everything was white or pearl or glass. All we needed was a few clouds and this could be heaven. I tried not to think of the clouds that probably touched the outside of the building around the floor I was currently on.

"So, what did you do before you came here?" Jessica asked.

Here we go.

"I worked at Newman's," I replied.

"Nieman's? I love Nieman's. Can you still get a discount?"

I nearly laughed, but I refrained.

"No…not Neiman's. Newman's. We specialized in outdoor equipment for camping and such."

Jessica's face fell, and then she looked utterly confused.

"How did you come to work here?" she asked.

I tried to not feel offended, but it was so clear that I so was not in the right place.

"Edward Cullen bought out my store and offered the employees a job at his company," I replied.

"It's Mr. Cullen! You no longer refer to him as Edward Cullen. Now that he's your boss, he's to be referred to only as Mr. Cullen," she corrected. "There's so much I'm going to have to teach you, I see."

I sighed and began to bite at my fingernail. If I wasn't nervous before, I was certainly nervous now.

"Mr. Cullen…is pragmatic. Extremely pragmatic. He's a huge germaphobe, and oh…don't even think about going _there_ with him. I'm pretty sure he's gay. He won't even look, so no need to wear tight, suggestive clothing. He's extremely professional…annoyingly so."

She looked down at my tight, short skirt, and I was sure she thought I was just some tart trying to get my billionaire man-catching claws on. I hoped I would be able to change before I met Mr. Cullen. I so did not want him thinking I was a tart.

"First thing I need you to do is input your information into Outlook. Mr. Cullen likes to know where his assistants are at all times. He'll be calling you and expecting a lot, even after hours. So, always have your phone on and near you."

Jessica walked towards the desk and fired up the computer.

"This is your desk."

I nodded my head and sat down in some swanky chair.

"What's an Outlook?" I asked.

Jessica looked like her head was about to pop off.

"Okay, this has to be a mistake. No offense, but there's no way someone with no computer knowledge gets hired as Mr. Cullen's second assistant. We have to go and talk to Nancy in HR. Come on," she said, beckoning me to follow her.

I didn't exactly disagree, so I did as she asked.

The elevator pinged, and a man who looked not too much older than myself walked out in the finest charcoal suit I had ever seen. His hair was copper and perfectly kept. His eyes were dark green. His shoulders were broad, and he was about a foot and a half taller than me. He walked confidently, that was until he saw me, and then he faltered, almost as if he was wearing heels and trying to maneuver through a revolving door.

He came straight towards us and seemed to lose all confidence.

"You're…here," he said lowly.

"Uh…and you're there," I replied stupidly.

"Sorry, Mr. Cullen. I was just about to return her to HR. I think Nancy made a mistake," Jessica piped up.

Mr. Cullen's eyes grew dark. "No, Miss Stanley. I was already made aware of Isabella's impending arrival. I approved it, so I hope you have done your job and made sure she's fully acquainted with our operations and procedures."

"She doesn't even know what Outlook is or-" Jessica attempted.

"Then, I suggest you educate her. If she's unsuccessful, then I'll find you to blame. Get her set up in our system and be prepared to work over until Isabella is caught up," he snapped. Mr. Cullen turned to me, and I nearly peed my skirt.

"I'd like to speak with you for a moment, in private."

Mr. Cullen continued to walk on towards what I assumed was his office. I stood in place, with my feet frozen to the floor, wondering if I should follow or attempt to make it to the elevator and run. Edward Cullen intimidated me, but when did I ever let that stop me?

"Now, Isabella!" he snapped, and like a cartoon character, my feet scrambled to follow him, before he barked any more orders at me.

Into the office I went, wondering what the hell had I just gotten myself into.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

 **I am excited that Dollybigmomma has been so kind to offer her services for cleaning up my stories! She has already been a valuable asset. Thank you, Dolly, for all your help!**

 **STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

As I walked into Edward Cullen's office and perused my surroundings, I found myself rethinking my nerves. Sure, the man had enough money to wipe me off the face of the earth. And after hearing what Rosalie thought about him, he sounded like a jerk who would. However, I wasn't about to let this jerk make me feel insignificant, so my courage was returning to me.

My bravado quickly wore off, though, when I saw a complete view of Seattle, and of course, the clouds from the surround-sound windows in Edward Cullen's office…I meant, Mr. Cullen's office. I nearly threw up right then. I told myself that, as long as I kept away from the windows, I should be away from harm. I truly believed that, if I went near them, I might be sucked out.

I walked over to a shelf that had a lot of shiny trophies displayed upon it and took a closer look to see what they were given for. One of them was a glass orb. I picked it up, and Edward Cullen, I meant Mr. Cullen, came over quickly and snatched it out of my hands.

"Cool ball," I said.

"Perhaps one shouldn't touch priceless items. Please, have a seat, Isabella," he waved his hand at the chair sitting across from his mountainous desk. I walked over toward it, as he went to his chair. I was about to sit down when I remembered how hard it was to sit in this skirt.

"Why do you call me Isabella, but you call Jessica Miss Stanley?" I asked, twisting back and forth slightly on my heel.

"I'm your employer, I can call you by whatever name I wish," he replied.

I wrinkled my forehead at his evasiveness.

"O-kay…so, does this mean I can call you Eddie? Miss Stanley said to call you Mr. Cullen."

He narrowed his eyes and let out a slow breath through his nostrils.

"Are you my employer?" he asked.

"Yes, I have a guy out back unloading my billions to put next to yours," I quipped.

"Miss Swan, would you mind having a seat, so we may have a serious discussion?"

It seemed as if he'd had enough of my colorful attitude. He'd Miss Swan'd me.

I sighed and flopped down into the chair, forgetting about my skirt, but relieved when it didn't split on me. I waited for him to begin, but he just stared at me. I widened my eyes and shook my head slightly, wondering what was taking him so long. I would say one thing, Rosalie and Jessica were right. He was super cute, and someone I would have definitely swiped right for. They were also right to warn me he was weird. At first, he seemed in complete control and rather authoritative, but there were moments when he would look in my direction and seem completely nervous or scared like I would turn to dust if I had been stabbed in the heart by a wooden stake.

Mr. Cullen reached forward to this pump bottle on his desk and squirted some hand sanitizer into his hands. I looked around his office once more and paid close attention to the floors and shelves. Not one speck of dust or a fingerprint was to be found. Jessica stated he was a germaphobe. It seemed she wasn't lying.

"So…what would you care to discuss?" I asked, hoping to move along the party.

"I received your start paperwork from Nancy, and I noticed there were a few blanks. I need you to leave your address and phone number with Jessica," he began.

"I don't currently have an address or a phone number. I just moved here and am crashing at a friend's place," I replied.

"Miss Rosalie Hale, correct?" he asked.

"Yeah…how did you…?"

"Miss Hale lives in Othello. Not a safe area at all. Why would you agree to live in such a dire neighborhood?" he questioned.

"I guess that's for me to know and you to find out," I snapped. "Miss Hale does what she can with what little she earns. Perhaps if she had a raise, she wouldn't be forced to live in such a 'dire' area."

I knew the man was probably going to fire me, but I didn't care. Knowing how unqualified I was for the position, I would do him the favor and save the time we would waste on me being here. Plus, Rosalie had been so nice to help me out, and I wasn't about to sit idly by, while her living conditions were being looked down upon by this billionaire jerk.

"You need a phone," he started, ignoring my comment. "And…proper clothes. I can see that your attire doesn't fit correctly. You should see to it."

"I don't have the money for a phone or to buy fancy clothes. I know Jessica may dress in Prada, but I'll be lucky if I can find something businesslike over at the local Walmart," I said, standing up from the chair. "Look, Mr. Cullen, I think there's been a huge mistake. It's obvious I don't belong here, and I know you only hired me to assuage your guilt for buying Newman's. You don't have to make me the freaking Vice President in order to make it right. I would've been happy down in the mailroom. I can go and speak with Nancy and sort this out…"

"I have no guilt for buying Newman's. You are here because it's my request that you be here. I know you'll work hard to learn everything you need to in order to become a productive employee. I'll…see to it that an advance is deposited into your account, so you may acquire the necessary items I've requested. Now, head on out to Jessica and learn…something."

He turned towards his computer. I guessed we were done here.

"Why did you request me to be here?" I asked when I was near the door.

He stopped typing and looked up in my direction.

"I guess that's for me to know…and you to find out," he replied, repeating my words back to me.

I shook my head and left out the door. I walked over to Jessica's desk and waited for her to give me direction. She sighed at my presence and then made a show of standing up.

"Let me show you around."

She took me to the employee lounge, which held a refrigerator and the basic necessities, and she got super irritated at having to explain to me how to work the Keurig. No matter. The basket full of muffins, bagels, and doughnuts on the counter distracted me from her huffing and scowling.

She took me over to my new desk and began to show me what Outlook was. Apparently, it was a computer program that had a digital calendar, address book, and email system.

"Since you don't know _anything_ , your job will be answering the phones. You answer the phone with, 'Good morning, Edward Cullen's office, this is Isabella speaking.' The calls have already been prescreened by our operator, so you won't have to deal with telemarketers or people just trying to get ahold of Mr. Cullen to ask for money. But there are still some people he never wants to talk to. One being his own mother. She calls, like, once or twice a week, and no matter how often you ask if he wants to speak with her, he never does. So, if she calls, the polite thing to say is that Mr. Cullen is in a meeting. Got it?" Jessica asked.

I nodded my head. Man, what a prick! He wouldn't even take a call from his own mother? What I wouldn't give to be able to speak to my mother again.

"Also, your lunch is thirty minutes, to be taken at twelve-thirty. You must be back by one o'clock. Not a minute later. You may go to the bathroom whenever you like, but don't abuse the privilege, or you'll be forced to wait until your fifteen-minute breaks. We begin at eight and are off by five. Occasionally, you'll be asked to work late or come in on Saturdays. You'll receive time and a half for those hours. Any questions?"

I was feeling a tad overwhelmed. I racked my brain for questions I was sure were rolling around upstairs somewhere.

"When do we get paid?" I asked.

"The first and fifteenth of the month. Until your probationary period is over, you don't have sick time or vacation time. After ninety days, you can accumulate a half-hour every day you work. After a year, if you're still here, you'll be entitled to eighty hours of vacation time."

Jessica led me back to my desk to drop me off.

"I have a lot to do since I pretty much have to do the job of two people, so please, try not to bother me unless it's an emergency."

She began to walk off, so I hated to bother her once more, but somehow, I didn't care.

"Oh…Jessica?" I waited for her to turn around. "It's Bella, by the way. Not Isabella. I go by Bella."

She gave me a look of sheer apathy. "I really don't care. Mr. Cullen calls you Isabella, you're Isabella."

Once again, she flipped around and headed back to her desk. I would wait until she was in a better mood to approach the subject once again if that was even possible. Perhaps I needed to approach the subject with Mr. Cullen.

I sat down in my chair and twisted back and forth, while I figured out what to do. Since I had no real tasks, I found myself bored very quickly. The phone rang, and I was super excited for something to do.

"Hello? I mean…Edward Cullen's office. Good morning…or afternoon. This is Bella speaking."

I couldn't even manage to answer the phone correctly.

"You must be new," the voice on the other end stated.

"Uh…yeah. What do you want?"

I nearly slapped myself in the face. _Come on, Bella! Be professional!_

"I mean, how may I help you?"

"I need to speak with Edward. This is Jane. He'll know who I am," the woman replied, being short with me.

I looked down at the phone and wondered what I should do. I'd never had to manage a phone with so many buttons on it before. At Newman's, we'd still had an old rotary phone.

"Sure…please hold."

I set the phone down on the desk and looked around for Jessica. She was nowhere in sight. I got up and quickly walked around to try and find her, but no such luck. I went over to Mr. Cullen's office and took a calming breath, before gathering up the courage to open the door.

"Uh…Mr. Cullen?" I called out.

"You might as well come in," he called back to me.

I opened the door and held on to the handle.

"Um…Jane is on the phone. She said you'd know who she was."

He stared at me with those gorgeous green eyes, like he was trying to figure me out.

"Did you want to talk to her?" I asked. Maybe a little too rudely.

He sighed and waved his hand at me.

"Was that a yes or a no kind of wave?" I asked for clarification.

"Transfer her," he said.

I walked back out to my desk and picked up the phone.

"Edward…I mean Mr. Cullen will speak to you now," I said into the phone.

"About damn time. What took you so long?" she snapped.

I stood there, appalled by her attitude, but being the good girl I was, I simply replied, "Have a nice day!"

I looked down at the phone and saw the transfer button, so I pressed it and then hung up the phone. There! Out of my ear and life forever, hopefully. I plopped back down in my chair, and the phone rang once more.

Crap.

Here we go again. I ran through the line in my head once more, before picking up the phone.

"Good morning, Edward Cullen's office. This is Bella speaking."

"You just hung up on me! Look, I don't have time for this. Where the hell is Jessica? I'd like to speak to Edward sometime before I die."

Man, was she pissed.

"One moment please," I said. I put the phone back down on the desk and once again trotted off to Mr. Cullen's office. I opened the door and sighed, "I hit transfer, but it didn't go through. Can you just…" I made a gesture, asking him to come with me.

I was a _little_ worried he would be upset with me, and I did mean a little. Instead, he smiled and laughed under his breath, before standing up and walking towards me.

"Where's Jessica?" he asked.

"I have no idea. She said something about having to work twice as hard and gave me the task of answering phones, but I've never had to use this kind of system before. I have no idea what the hell I'm doing! Can you please just send me to the mailroom or something?"

I was embarrassed of my little fit, but I knew I didn't belong here. Jessica knew I didn't belong here, and I knew Edward Cullen knew I didn't belong here. Why the hell was he wasting his time with me?

"Calm down, it's just a phone," he replied, reaching over the short wall that housed my desk and picking up the phone.

I flopped back down in my chair and placed my elbows up on the desk to hold my head up, while he spoke to this Jane woman.

"Yes, she's new," I heard him say, obviously talking about me.

"I'm not discussing this further. Just get on with whatever you wish to speak to me about."

He was short with her, and I kind of loved him for how he was handling this Jane woman. She seemed to be a real treat! I glanced around and saw Jessica returning from wherever the hell she had run off to. She looked over at me and seemed confused as to why Mr. Cullen was standing at my desk with the phone in his hand.

"No, my office already sent it in. I don't need a date, because I already stated I wasn't attending," Mr. Cullen continued. He sighed and looked rather irritated. I wondered if this Jane person was attempting to ask him out. Jessica was sure he was gay, but I never made assumptions.

"My apologies, but I assumed your office would've let you know of my intentions…Perhaps some other time…I have a meeting to get to. I'll see you on the fifteenth as previously discussed."

He then hung up the phone. So, I guessed when you were a billionaire, you could afford to not have manners. Not that I was complaining. Jane was rude, so a small part of me was giving Mr. Cullen a high-five in my mind.

"Miss Stanley, if you plan on putting Isabella on phones, then at least teach her how to transfer a call," Mr. Cullen barked on the way back to his desk.

I knew he seemed to be pretty pissed off, so I knew I shouldn't poke the bear, but that was what Swans loved to do, poke bears and any other animal, for that matter.

"Mr. Cullen," I called for his attention. I waited for him to turn before continuing. "I prefer Bella."

He gave me a challenging look, before looking over towards Jessica. She was practically shaking in her Manolo's.

"Miss Stanley, I suggest you get to it, or else _Isabella_ won't get to her lunch on time."

I knew he only said that to reiterate the Isabella part.

"Douche," I mumbled under my breath.

"What was that?" he asked superiorly.

"Dude!" I gave him a thumbs up and a fake smile.

He narrowed his eyes, before turning to go back into his office. Once he had disappeared, Jessica came hurrying over to me.

"Are you trying to get fired? Seriously!"

I rolled my eyes. It didn't seem as though I could ever be fired, even if I tried.

Jessica spent a half-hour going over all the buttons on the phone and then had me practice, just to make sure my silly mistakes would never happen again. I was so relieved when twelve-thirty came around, and I could finally escape for lunch. I took a deep breath, before stepping onto the elevator to head down. I was hoping to find Rosalie. Since I still didn't have a phone, I hoped I would get lucky and just find her.

Since my stupid office was on the seventieth-seventh floor, by the time I made it all the way down to the ground floor, ten minutes had already been used up of my thirty-minute break. If it took ten minutes just to get back upstairs, my break was practically over.

Dashing around the ground floor as fast as I could, I looked for Rosalie, but I had no luck. There was a small commissary on the first floor, so I grabbed a Cup of Noodle and made my way back upstairs, disappointed with my meal options. I guessed I needed to bring my lunch to work from now on.

I made it back just in time. Jessica was standing by my desk, checking her watch to make sure I arrived by one o'clock sharp. When she saw me coming, she grabbed her purse and said she would be back soon. I knew I should have stayed at my desk, but I broke protocol and went to the little kitchen to heat up my miserable soup.

Careful to not spill, I brought the soup back to my desk. Knowing this swanky place, if even one drop marred the perfect floors, it might set off some annoying alarm. I sat down at my desk and attempted to slurp a bite of my noodles. I was so focused on not burning my tongue, I hadn't noticed Mr. Cullen standing beside my desk with his brow furrowed, while he gave my soup a look of disdain.

"Jesus! You know, a subtle cough would be polite in announcing your presence," I scolded.

He didn't respond or change his face. He just kept staring at my lunch.

"What?" I snapped.

"I find your lunch unsatisfactory," he replied.

"My apologies, Sir. I didn't realize my lunch was up for review. Would you like me to go and get Nancy, so we can make this official?"

He continued to stare at me before he spoke again.

"Sarcasm," he said.

"Question or statement?" I asked.

"Statement."

Okay, at least he understood my sense of humor. That was a step in the right direction. However, he was still standing there, looking at me with those damn green eyes. Part of me was uncomfortable, and part of me was turned on.

"Did you need something?" I asked quickly, before my mind had to put the TV-MA symbol in the upper right corner.

He took a deep breath, before slightly shaking his head.

"Call Wild Ginger and have them send one of everything. The usual setup," he ordered, before walking back into his office.

I sighed and pushed my soup to the side, twirling my chair back around toward the computer, so I could pull up the number for Wild Ginger. While I waited for someone to take my call, I perused their online menu. I couldn't believe their exorbitant prices. I gave my order, and they seemed to know exactly what I needed, when I said it was for Edward Cullen's office.

About a twenty minutes later, a delivery boy pushed a cart out from the elevator and proceeded to walk straight into Mr. Cullen's office, closing the door behind him. I would say he had about thirty food containers on that cart. How the hell was Mr. Cullen going to eat all that food? Was he such a germaphobe that, once he ate a bite from one container, he would believe it was instantly invaded by germs, and therefore, unable to be eaten ever again? I swear, the richer they were, the crazier they were.

The delivery boy exited ten minutes later wearing latex gloves, and my mind turned super dirty. I laughed, amused by my silly thoughts. My phone rang, and I answered it, nearly forgetting where I was.

"Good afternoon, Edward Cullen's office," I laughed into the phone.

"Something amusing, Isabella?"

That velvety voice could only belong to one person.

"Why are you calling me?" I asked.

"Excuse me?"

I shook my head at my own stupidity.

"I mean...I wasn't expecting you to call me. Seriously, your office is, like, ten feet away, and I know how you love to just appear out of nowhere."

"Could you please come in here...and bring a notepad," he replied.

My stomach growled, as I looked over at my sad soup and sighed. I guessed I could reheat it if this took too long. I rose out of my chair and slammed my hand down on the small notepad I had been using that day and walked off to find out what his majesty needed. Probably someone to check off what food container he'd already eaten from.

"You rang," I said boorishly.

He seemed perplexed at my attitude, but he didn't comment. I looked around, and the containers of food were set up expertly on a long table off to the left side of the office. My stomach growled louder at the smell. Mr. Cullen got up from his chair and walked toward the table. He picked up a glass plate and held it out to me.

"You…want me to make you a plate?" I asked incredulously.

"No, I'd like you to make yourself a plate. I didn't know what you preferred. Please, feel free to take from whatever container you wish."

I stood in my place, staring at him with a million questions swirling around my mind.

"You disapproved of my lunch, so you went and…bought out a restaurant?" I asked.

He seemed a little uncomfortable. He fidgeted, and his body went a little ridged.

"You know, my Cup of Noodle isn't your fault…" I started then thought about it. "Well, I guess in a way, it is your fault. You give only thirty minutes for lunch, but if ten minutes of that thirty is spent riding down in an elevator, and another ten minutes is spent riding back up the elevator, it only gives me ten minutes to find a decent meal, which, I'm sure you're aware, doesn't exist near your building. I guess I could bring my lunch every day, but then it'd mean using your microwave, which has the potential to smell up the floor, if I decide to bring fish, or well, I'd never voluntarily bring fish for lunch, since fish is disgusting, but if I was say, on an Indian food kick, that could possibly smell up the office, all because you only allow ten minutes for lunch."

I couldn't believe my ramble. I knew he would have no choice but to say something about my constant need to chatter, but instead, he picked up a plate and went about finding himself something to eat. I watched as he purposely walked around the table and pulled open each container with chopsticks, just in order to keep his hands clean. Once he was finished, he placed his plate on his desk and walked off toward the right, through a door. I waited there, still in my place, as I heard him washing his hands. He returned to his desk without touching a single item, before picking up his napkin and unwrapping his silver utensils.

"Do you plan to eat or not? If your noodle cup means so much to you, you may go and retrieve it," he said.

I looked back over to the table, and I couldn't deny the delicious smells writhing through the air. If I had any pride, I would have returned to my…noodle cup, but hell, with no idea of what I would be having for dinner, I went to the table and dove in.

Once my plate was full, I walked over and sat back in the chair across from his desk. We ate in awkward silence, as we both concentrated on our plates. I knew I should just keep my mouth shut, but the silence was killing me. However, he was first to speak after our short hiatus.

"You know…there's a private elevator that's direct, if you wish to take it."

"Private elevator?" I asked. "Where?"

"The door to the left," he tipped his head toward the doors on the right-hand side of the office. I now knew one was a private bathroom. It seemed another was a private elevator. I still wasn't sure what the third door was for.

"Isn't that _your_ private elevator?" I asked.

"I'm sure it can handle the weight capacity if we were to ride in it together."

I shook my head.

"Does…Miss Stanley get to ride in your personal elevator?"

He wrinkled his face up at the thought. "Heavens no!"

"Okay…then, why is it okay for me to use it? Why am I here? Why do you seem to make allowances for me? I mean…we don't know each other from Adam. Apparently, you're not torn up over buying the company I worked for and putting me out of a job, so I don't think you're acting out of guilt. What the hell is going on here, Mr. Cullen? And don't give me that crap of, it's for you to know and me to find out."

He narrowed his eyes at me, but his mouth had an unusual smirk to it. Rosalie was right, this guy was weird. But he didn't answer, as we were interrupted with a loud banging knock from behind me.

The smile that was playing on Mr. Cullen's lips vanished, and he sighed while standing up from his desk.

"Come in," he barked.

In walked the biggest guy I had ever seen in person. I stood up slowly from my chair with my plate, wanting to back up and perhaps even hide under the desk.

"I told you I'd meet you at the car at two," Edward said quietly to the giant.

The menacing man looked over at me, and then he opened his mouth into the grandest smile I had ever seen.

"Emmett, Isabella Swan. Isabella Swan, Emmett," Mr. Cullen introduced.

"Isabella Swan…so, we meet again," Emmett's voice boomed.

"Emmett," Mr. Cullen growled. "Meet me at the car as previously discussed. I'll be down in a minute."

Emmett laughed, as he was pushed out the door by Mr. Cullen. I stood there, even more confused than I had been all day.

"What did he mean, so we meet again? I think I'd remember meeting a giant," I said.

Mr. Cullen seemed flustered, as he walked back over towards his desk and tapped quickly on his keyboard.

"Emmett…is just being Emmett. Pay him no mind. I have to get going," he said, walking toward the mysterious third door, which apparently held his personal belongings. He grabbed a coat and briefcase. "Please, take however much of the food you'd like, and use the elevator if you wish. The code is eleven-thirty-three. Have a nice evening, Isabella."

And just like that, he was gone.

I stood alone in his office, completely perplexed at the day. What would Rosalie say, when I told her of my adventures in Bizarroland? I packed up the rest of the food and looked around for a bag to carry the containers. It was at this point that I wanted to take a private tour of Mr. Cullen's office, but I worried he might have hidden nanny cams, so I refrained. Instead, I took the food and went back to my desk. Rosalie would be stoked at all this prime food for dinner. I was sure she'd never had the opportunity to eat at The Wild Ginger before.

Jessica popped up like a nightmarish ghoul the moment I arrived back at my desk.

"What, exactly, is going on here? I came back from my lunch, and you and Mr. Cullen were eating a fancy meal in his office for nearly forty-five minutes," she snapped.

"Hey, your guess is as good as mine. He was upset at my poor lunch choice. I didn't ask him to buy all that food. If you have a problem with it, please, feel free to take it up with Mr. Cullen. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work."

I slid back into my chair and typed the password to start up my computer, and then I opened my Outlook to check my email. Of course, there was nothing in my inbox, but Jessica didn't need to know that. So, I went online instead to try and find out the number for the payroll department, to see if I could call down to Rosalie.

Jessica thankfully left me alone while I researched. I found the extension I was looking for and picked up my phone to call Rosalie's department.

"Payroll, this is Rosalie speaking."

"Wow, so professional. I may need some tips," I teased.

"Bella? Oh, my god! I've been so worried. Where did you end up? You'll never believe what happened. I have so much to tell you!" she gushed.

"I can't get a word in edgewise," I kidded. "Look, um…I'll tell you all about my position when we get off later this afternoon. Where do you want to meet up at?"

"The lobby inside, just in case it's raining. Tonight, we Uber! I got a raise!" she cheered quietly into the phone.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes, and a huge bonus. Oh, my god, Bella. There was a mix-up, and they were supposed to have given me this raise, like, a year ago, so they not only gave me the raise, but they retro paid me the difference plus a bonus for the past year. I finally have enough money to get out of that crappy apartment!"

I was sure my mouth was hanging wide open.

"Wow! That's almost…unbelievable," I replied. "If you don't mind a roommate, I'm sure once I get paid, I can help chip in for rent."

"Of course! We have to go apartment hunting this weekend. A cozy two-bedroom apartment in a decent part of Seattle. I gotta go. I'll see you in the lobby at five."

After hanging up with Rosalie, I tried not to think about my previous conversation with Mr. Cullen concerning Rosalie, but it was all I could think about. Would he really just give her a huge raise and a bonus, just because I'd said something about it? I shook my head at my wild notions. I mean, the guy didn't get where he was today by taking business suggestions from a high school dropout. Still, the timing seemed a little too peculiar.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

 **A big thanks to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing this to perfection!**

 **Story is mine. Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

Rosalie and I had a massive carpet picnic with all the food I had received from Mr. Cullen's overzealous food order. She was so busy regaling me with her pay raise tales, that she hadn't stopped to even ask me where the food had come from or about my new position.

"So, I guess I'll have to stop referring to Edward Cullen as the miser, Ebenezer Scrooge."

"Mr. Cullen," I said absently.

Only there for a few hours, and already, Jessica had turned me into a mindless assistant.

"What?" Rosalie asked.

"Never mind," I waved her off.

"Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry. Here I am, sucking all the air out of the apartment talking about me, and we haven't even discussed your day. Your first day. What department did they put you in?" she asked.

Here we go.

"Um…I'm an assistant," I began.

"Who's your boss? Is he a dick? I find most of the bosses are dicks. Or is it a woman? Is she a vag? I find most of the women bosses are vags."

How did I even begin to answer that? Was Edward Cullen…I mean Mr. Cullen…a dick? Sure, he was strange and seemed to have way too much faith in me. But he wasn't a dick, per se. He did seem to have issues with communication and was weird, but Rosalie had already said he was weird.

"Edward Cullen. I work for Edward Cullen. The very same Edward Cullen of The Cullen Conglomerate. The hottie who makes me naughty and is so swipe right-able but is totally and utterly weird in every way. I have no idea what the hell I'm doing there. I don't even have enough fingers to count how many ways I fucked up today. I tried so many times to get them to put me in the mailroom, and I have to deal with this obnoxious know-it-all who's head to toe in Prada and thinks I'm the biggest moron to ever walk the planet. Seriously! Please, tell me I hit my head, and today was some kind of concussion dream."

Rosalie sat there with her chopsticks partially hanging out of her mouth. She swallowed the large pot sticker she had placed in her mouth and then took a breath.

"So…you think you're having a dream? Not a nightmare, so…you like him?"

"WHAT? No!" I exclaimed, ripping at the nail on my pinky finger with my teeth. "I barely know the dude. We've literally had a combined thirty minutes of total talk time. Less if you don't include all the uncomfortable silences. And like you said, he's weird. Prada Jessica thinks he's gay. He's sexy…I mean, if you can get past all the evasiveness and creeper status he seems to thrive on."

Rosalie sat back against the wall with a coy smile playing on her face. She perused each container of food to find something else to munch on.

"By the way, where did you get all this food? It's so delicious."

"Edward had me order it from someplace called The Wild Ginger. Some super expensive trendy place. He ate like five bites and told me to take the rest home," I replied, digging back into my dish.

"Oh…Edward, you say," Rosalie teased.

I felt myself pause. She was right. I'd called him Edward.

"Mr. Cullen," I corrected.

"Mr. Cullen, I've been a bad girl. Do you need me to bend over your desk?"

I threw an empty food container at her face, causing her to cease immediately.

"It's not like that. Believe me! Besides, I never like to assume, but I'm starting to think Jessica's right. He might be gay. I mean, he turned down this woman today on the phone who wanted a date. How in the hell does someone like him stay single for all these years? It makes sense that some minxy, lucky little gold-digger would've checked that box off by now."

Rosalie seemed to contemplate my words.

"Not necessarily. I mean, perhaps he has morals and doesn't fall for cheap tricks. Still looking for a girl he can bring home to meet his mom," she said.

"Not likely. Word has it he never takes calls from his mom. She calls, like, twice a week, and we're supposed to give some lame excuse as to why he won't answer the phone. Oh, and now that I think about it, he said my clothes don't seem to fit properly, so…thank you for the super tight skirt, but I think I'll have to retire that one."

"Hey, my skirt might be the reason why you ended up in Edward Cullen's office to begin with. Ever think about that?" she asked.

"Yes, Nancy was so turned on with my skirt that she gave me an all-access pass to heaven on seventy-seven. If that was the reason I ended up on that floor, then I blame you! You got me into this mess."

"Okay, just remember that, when you get your first paycheck and see a whole lot of zeros after the comma. You'll worship my skirt on that day!" she declared.

I rolled my eyes and began to pick up the empty containers. Unfortunately, I would need to raid Rosalie's closet the next morning, too, as I still had no suitable workwear. This time, however, she allowed me to get away with something slightly more conservative.

The black dress slacks she let me borrow were so long I had to pin them up, so I wouldn't be walking on the hems all day. I paired them with a super tight royal blue sweater. It wasn't my choice to go with a super tight sweater, but it seemed as if most of Rosalie's clothes ran tighter. I'd guess I was lucky I was a cup size smaller, or I might have been bursting forth from the tops the way Rosalie did.

I sighed and waited outside the Cullen Conglo…whatever building the next morning. I wondered if I really wanted to go through this again. What would today bring? I really didn't want to know.

"It's just a revolving door, Bella. I'm sure any assistant to the CEO can figure out how to work one," Rosalie teased.

"That's not why I'm standing here," I growled out the side of my mouth. "I'm just trying to figure out if I want to go through this another day or quit and find something more appropriate."

Rosalie sighed and pulled me out of the way and off to the side.

"You've got to be kidding me! You know how many people would kill for that job? Are you really going to let something like qualifications get in your way? I don't know why you were given this opportunity, but it has to be destiny. Destiny put you in seventy-seven heaven. Are you really going to spit in destiny's face?"

I contemplated her words, but my thoughts must have taken too long for Rosalie Hale, because she grabbed my arm with her sharp talons and dragged me into the building. She pulled me all the way over to the elevators and onto the car.

Rosalie hit the button for the eleventh floor and then the very top last button for me. When we reached Rosalie's floor, she got off and told me to go make friends and play nice. Make friends and play nice with whom, exactly? Jessica, the vapid narcissist? Or Edward Cullen? Nuff said.

The elevator car emptied by the fiftieth floor, leaving me to take the last twenty-seven floors all by myself. Even as fast as that elevator flew, it gave me far too much time to stress about whether I was making the right decision by returning.

Part of me was angry at myself for not having the cajones to not be worried about returning, and then another part of me wanted to run down seventy-seven flights of stairs to get out of this weird world.

The elevator dinged, alerting me of my arrival, and I froze as the doors opened. I waited and waited, not moving, and then the doors closed. Suddenly, I was being taken back down. I stepped to the back of the elevator, shifting as people got on and got off, until I was at the bottom floor. I could feel myself relax the moment the doors opened on the lobby.

Taking a deep breath, I walked off, happier for my decision to find a different job. Dream job or not, there was something off about working for this company. I walked down the street to find an ATM machine, since I had finally deposited my final check the evening before. I needed to see just how much money I had left in my account.

I could feel my heart stop and palms begin to sweat, as the computer insisted my current balance was about five thousand dollars too much. I went through the previous transactions to see a familiar name come up. Edward Cullen. How the hell had he deposited money into my account? My head became foggy, as I tried to remember if any of those papers I had filled out included one asking for my bank account information. I knew I had been in a little bit of a hurry when I had filled them out, but I didn't even know my routing number by heart, so it wasn't possible.

I took my card and slowly backed away from the machine. I felt even more unsure of myself. If I quit, I would definitely need to return that money. I didn't want anyone accusing me of stealing. As I began to aimlessly walk around, I thought back to the previous morning, when Mr. Cullen had stated that he would see to my advance, so I could obtain clothes and a new phone. This must have been my advance. A five-thousand-dollar advance? It would take me the better part of a year to pay that kind of money back.

I could feel my tummy rumbling from lack of food. The Wild Ginger food was still hanging around this morning, but it wasn't my cup of tea as far as breakfast foods went. I found a small coffee shop two blocks away from the Cullen building. I needed a large cup of caffeine and a carby pastry, or pastries, if I was going to figure out my predicament.

I was mulling over my options while diving into my bagel. Option one: Send a check in for five-thousand dollars to Edward Cullen, along with my letter of resignation. Option two: Return to the Cullen building and demand some answers. Need to find a new job. Need to find a new roommate, since Rosalie would want to move someplace I probably could not afford.

"Isabella?"

I had my face in a scone paper bag, when I heard his voice.

Option one: Look up and pretend I wasn't sitting pathetically in a coffee shop eating my feelings. Option two: Throw said scone bag in former employer's face and run out, tossing my ATM card at him as well.

"Isabella!"

I sighed.

"What?" I snapped, pulling my face back from my carby breakfast bag and looking up at him.

"It's half past eight. Work begins…"

"I quit," I interrupted. I dug my checkbook out of my purse and grabbed a pen. "Look, I don't know how you obtained my banking information, but I'll write you a check right now, and you can consider this my notice."

Edward Cullen sat down in front of me on the soft cushy chair and placed his phone down on the table separating us.

"You signed a contract," he stated. "But, be that as it may, I'd very much like to know why you feel the need to leave."

The fog of signing papers…I wondered what that thick document was I had signed and hadn't taken the time to read. I'd guess I now knew. I must have signed a contract. What would breaking the contract mean, exactly? It wasn't as if I had anything Edward Cullen could sue me for.

"There's just…too many issues. I don't think I should work for someone like you," I replied.

"What issues?" he asked.

What was I going to tell him, exactly?

"Have you ever felt like you were a character in some mystery television show? I feel like there's something really weird going on, and everyone is in on it but me. I know I don't belong in your office. I don't know the first thing about working in an office, yet somehow, on my first day, I get assigned to one of the most prestigious positions in the company. My roommate, out of nowhere, gets a raise and a bonus. I have five thousand dollars deposited into my account by you, and I never gave you my banking information. Your giant bodyguard seems to know me. You act weird around me. There are just too many mysteries. I just want a normal job. I want a normal life."

Edward Cullen sat back in his chair, but he didn't look bothered by my implications.

"Let me get this straight. You're worried because you have a great job and are making a decent amount of money, and your roommate finally got a well-earned, long-awaited raise. So, something must be wrong? You must've had a very bad string of luck, if you can't even recognize when something good comes your way."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"How did you get my bank account information?" I asked pointedly.

He held up his hands and replied, "I'm a billionaire. You don't think I can't ask my friends down at the bank to deposit an advance into my assistant's account?"

"What about Emmett?"

"What about Emmett?" he asked.

"He said…we meet again. I know you brushed that off, but it's weird," I said.

"Yes, of course, it's weird. It's Emmett," he said. "Look, I think you're just trying to find a reason to not be happy. Is it Miss Stanley? Is she giving you problems? Is it Miss Hale? Did she find her raise to be inadequate?"

"What? No! I…I mean, well, yes, Miss Stanley can be a bit of a pill, but I can handle her. And Rosalie is over the moon for her raise. It's…I…I don't know. I just feel weird working for you. I don't know if we meld well."

"Meld?" he questioned. "So, it's me? You have a problem with me?"

His voice almost sounded hollow, as if I had just personally offended him.

"You and I are just from different worlds. I don't think you'll be happy with me in the long run if I continue to work for you. As I said, I don't know what I'm doing. I didn't even graduate high school or go to college. You're net wages, and I am Net…flix. We don't even exist on the same plane."

He seemed to be thinking over my words, and I could see the change in front of my very eyes. He could go from confident to unassured and timid in seconds when speaking with me.

"I want to try and make this work. Perhaps if we spoke openly with one another and often. Once you get to know me, if you still wish to leave, I'll release you from your contract."

I swirled my coffee container around, feeling the liquid move in a circular motion. I took to chewing on my thumbnail while contemplating his offer.

"Will you call me Bella?" I asked.

He sighed and looked displeased.

"I prefer Isabella."

"Are you going to sneer at my lunch?"

"That depends. Is your lunch even remotely nutritious?" he asked.

"My noodle cup could withstand Armageddon. Can you say the same for your fancy-shmancy Wild Ginger?" I asked, taking on his term. I kind of liked noodle cup instead of Cup of Noodle.

"That's the point, Isabella. I don't believe anything should enter your body that's able to withstand an apocalypse. You have the funds in your account to afford a decent meal, and you have the private elevator code, so there's no reason why you should subject your digestive tract to vile food options."

"It's my body," I reminded him.

He sighed and shook his head. "Fine, I won't say anything about your poor dietary decisions."

"Or give me a face," I warned with my pointy finger.

"I can't be expected to control my face. Are we done here? It's nine o'clock, and you're already an hour late."

I picked up my purse and scone bag.

"Sheesh! What a nose grinder."

I walked out of the coffee shop and continued to walk down the street, back toward the building of doom. I could feel his eyes on the back of me, and it made me self-conscious. I finally stopped and moved a little out of his way.

"Do you mind?" I asked.

"Mind?"

"You're creeping me out. Can you either walk in front or to the side of me?"

He stepped up one pace and then gestured for me to continue.

"You're a paranoid person. I didn't foresee this character flaw," he said.

"Flaw?" I practically snapped. "Would you care to discuss your flaws? We'd probably need more than the two blocks' walk, however."

He slid his hand down the lapel of his extra fine virgin wool suit, as his jaw dropped slightly in dismay.

"Isabella, my apologies if I've offended you. I'd very much appreciate any insights you may have on my character."

I shook my head and focused instead on the street below my feet. I wasn't stupid enough to fall into that trap. When a man asked you for your honest opinion on his personality, it was a trap. Most men weren't secure enough to handle the truth.

"Please. I'm waiting."

I shook my head again. "No, you can't handle it," I replied.

We were closing in on the building and that damn revolving door, when he broke our silence.

"I find you odd."

"ME?" I exclaimed. "You find me odd?"

It was like we were from two different worlds. I imagined that, if aliens were to land on Earth and not want to destroy us, it would be exactly like speaking to Edward. Men _were_ from Mars…

"Have I offended you again? You seem very sensitive. Perhaps it's a chemical imbalance. I have a whole division in pharmaceuticals that could remedy what ails you."

I felt my whole body go rigid, as I stopped right where I walked and looked up at him with the fire of a thousand arrows in my eyes.

"Are you saying I am PMS-ing?" I snapped.

"P…M…S…" he said, slowly thinking over the acronym. "Pre-menstrual…"

And then it hit him. He looked me over and took a step back, as if the blood would run wild and attack him.

"I'm not, if that's what worries you."

He let out a relieved breath of air and then slowly stepped forward.

"It seems as if I've upset you once again," he replied.

"Look, you may be able to buy and sell the world, but that doesn't mean you can say whatever you want. Why don't we agree to not speak of…my womanly ways again? Besides, it's unprofessional and all that."

"Agreed," he vowed.

I turned back around and took a minute before gathering up the courage to attempt the revolving door.

"Just so you know. I find these doors to be highly unsafe. I mean…what happens if there's an emergency? Do you really think this huge snapping door is going to let the people get out in time?" I asked.

Edward Cullen stepped up and looked over the door.

"You do know the revolving door is only on the south side of the building, right? The other sides have normal, uncomplicated doors if this one…causes you distress."

"It doesn't cause me distress," I lied. "I was just making a safety point. Geez!"

I timed the door and stepped in quickly, relieved I didn't make myself look like a fool in front of Edward Cullen. I began to walk towards the elevators, but I was startled when I felt Edward Cullen's hand come up to pull my arm toward the left of security.

"What are you doing?"

"Private elevator," he replied, pulling me in front of one lonely door. He pressed the button, and the doors opened immediately. I walked in cautiously and looked around, while he went over to the keypad and took out a wipe from his pocket to press the code into the panel. The doors closed, and he turned back around to face me.

I looked down at his wipe and raised an eyebrow.

"Flaws," I stated.

He sighed and pressed his little wipe into a square.

"You have no idea the number of germs that can be found on elevator panels," he attempted to explain his weirdness.

"I thought this was a private elevator. Wouldn't the only germs that would plague your panel be that of your own?"

He cleared his throat and turned back around without answering my question. We arrived at the top in about a minute's time. The door opened, and I could see Edward Cullen's office appear before my very eyes. I looked over to where the lunch buffet had been set out and saw it had been cleaned up.

"Well…uh…see you around," I said awkwardly.

I walked out of his office and looked over towards Jessica's desk, but she wasn't there. I went over to my cube and sat down while starting up my computer. The phone rang, and I was smart enough to pick it up without hesitation and say my line correctly.

"Hi, you must be new," the voice sang into the telephone.

Oh, great. Here we go again.

"Yes…I am. How may I direct your call?"

"I'm Esme. Edward's mother. I needed to speak with him."

Uh-oh.

"One moment, please," I replied.

I pushed Edward Cullen's extension into the phone and waited for him to pick up.

"Yes."

"Uh…it's your mom," I said.

"Tell her I'm in a meeting," he replied.

"Okay, but she said she needed to speak with you," I attempted.

"Take a message."

He hung up the phone after that.

I shook my head, completely baffled by his attitude. I switched back over to the mother and prepared to lie.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Cullen. He seems to be in a very important meeting." Very important, if he couldn't even afford two seconds to talk to his mom! "Can I take a message?"

"Oh, thank you, dear. That'd be lovely. Please tell him the invitation came in the mail, and we'd love to see him. It's been too long since he's come home. Please, let him know that."

"Invitation?" I asked, probably not minding my own business.

"Yes, to his ten-year high school reunion."

"Oh! Okay. I'll let him know. Thank you, Mrs. Cullen."

She sounded perfectly sweet. Not at all the type of mother one would want to avoid. I looked over to the closed office doors and wondered if I should tell him, or rather, would he even care.

"I thought you'd quit," I heard Jessica's voice. "But, you obviously didn't, so I feel the need to inform you that I'm going to have to write you up for coming in so late. Another write-up and you're fired."

Somehow, I didn't think that was possible.

She went around to her desk and pulled open her top drawer, while I stood there waiting. I looked back down to my notepad and saw the scribble of Mrs. Cullen's message and thought I should write an email to relay the message. I typed out a short and simple email.

 _Subject: You're mom._

 _Message: Your invitation for your ten-year high school reunion came, and she would very much appreciate your presence at home, since apparently, you haven't been there in a very long while. Please, let me know if you need me to make any arrangements, and or if I should RSVP to the high school of your attendance to their shindig._

 _Best,_

 _Bella._

There, that didn't sound unprofessional, right?

I hit send and waited for Jessica to pop on by with her official triplicate writeup. I signed the form she thrust into my face just to be rid of her. She flounced back to her desk and took her seat, giving me a challenging eye from all the way across the room.

I sighed and turned back to my computer to see a response from Edward Cullen. I looked over to his closed office doors, before clicking on the email and seeing what he had to say.

 _Subject: RE: Your mom._

 _Message: I went ahead and corrected your subject line. I believe you meant to say YOUR mom, not you are mom. As for the invitation; please disregard it. No need to make any arrangements. I will not be attending. Please inform my mother of this, if she should call again on the subject._

 _E. Cullen_.

I narrowed my eyes on the screen and was tempted to respond. I hated grammar lessons from the ivy league educated. I looked around and began to tap my fingers on the desk, wondering what I should do, since the phones weren't ringing. I'd guess I shouldn't have wondered, because Jessica brought over a huge stack of paperwork and slammed it down on my desk.

"I need you to separate these out by the companies and then alphabetize them. Think you can handle that?" she asked.

I gave her a fake smile and pulled the pile away from her and began to separate the invoices. It seemed as if there were various sub-companies under the Cullen name. One for pharmaceuticals that I knew about, since Edward Cullen felt the need to offer me a Midol from this particular branch. Another company for technology and innovation, and a third for aviation and transportation.

It took me the rest of the morning to go through my stack, but by the time lunch rolled around, I was finished. I picked up my purse and stood up.

"You better not be thinking about going to lunch."

I stopped in my place and looked over to Jessica.

"It's twelve-thirty. You said I needed to go at twelve-thirty," I replied.

"Perhaps tomorrow you won't feel the need to be an hour late. Consider that your break period."

I felt my stomach growl. My long-gone carb-filled bag was mocking me for finishing its contents so quickly. What the hell was I supposed to do the rest of the day? Starve? I sighed and sat back down and turned to my computer. Somehow, I wondered what picky Edward Cullen would have to say about this, but the last thing I was going to be labeled as was a tattletale.

At one o'clock, Jessica stood up from her desk and swept out of the room to go off and find herself a meal. I briefly wondered if she drank the souls of children to get her fill. I laid my head on my hand and used my other hand to tap idly upon the sleek wooden desk.

"Are we bored, Isabella?"

I didn't even look up. I simply gave him a grunt of acknowledgment.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Cullen?" I finally asked.

"Did you have another noodle cup today?" he asked. I turned my chair to face him and scowled. "You didn't use the private elevator, so I figured as much." I heard my stomach grumble, and I closed my eyes in embarrassment. "See what noodle cups can do to your system."

I sighed and looked up into his green eyes. "Again, I ask…what can I do for you, Mr. Cullen?"

I watched as he smoothed out his suit. I found that he usually fidgeted like this when he was feeling nervous.

"Can you call and have lunch delivered?" he asked.

"What would you like?"

"You pick. You seem to need something to eat far more than I do," he replied.

I shook my head slightly. "That's not necessary. Just…tell me what you want to eat."

He sighed and gave me a look that told me his nerves were settled, and he was reverting back to being self-assured.

"Just pick something and be sure to order enough, so you can find something to eat as well."

He turned and headed back towards his office.

"Fine! But only because I imagine this is part of that advance you gave me!" I called after him.

I sat back down, and since he was being so difficult to tell me what he wanted to eat, I decided to order something I didn't think he had ever tried. I went online and ordered Uber-grub to bring us a couple of Happy Meals. If there was ever a person in need of a Happy Meal, it was Edward Cullen.

I'd never imagined a Happy Meal would turn into a proposition. They did say the road to hell was paved with Happy Meals, right?

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for taking the time to read and review! Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for taking the time to edit this!**

 **Disclaimer: Story is mine. Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

I sat at my desk, smiling to myself at the look I figured I would get when our lunch arrived. The elevator dinged, and I eagerly looked up, hoping to find the Uber-grub person walking to me with two Happy Meals in his hands. I was sorely disappointed when Jessica walked off the elevator.

"What?" she snapped, giving me the evil eye.

I sighed and sat back down.

The elevator dinged once again, and my vision was realized. I felt positively far too giddy, as the cute delivery boy walked up and handed me my Happy Meals. I looked over at Jessica's desk, and her mouth dropped open.

I headed towards Edward Cullen's office and pushed the door open without knocking.

"Lunch is served!" I announced.

I walked in and placed the square-shaped box with the golden arches handles down on his desk in front of him. He didn't disappoint, as he gave the best impression of a confused emoji to ever be witnessed.

"What is that?" he asked softly.

"A Happy Meal. Please, tell me you've eaten a Happy Meal before." I flopped down in the chair opposite his desk with my Happy Meal and opened my box. "You said for me to pick. Where else can you get chicken nuggets, fries, apple slices, and chocolate milk for under four bucks?"

He took his index finger and thumb and picked at the opening ever so slightly, as if something was going to pop out of the box and explode all over his fancy-ass Italian suit.

"Ooh! AND A TOY!" My cheer nearly made him drop his box.

"You…eat like this?" he asked.

"And today…you eat like this," I replied.

He took a breath and then completely opened his box and began to pull out the various items one by one to examine them.

"Do you want to eat your lunch alone? If I go, you can throw it in the wastebasket, and I'll be none the wiser."

He looked up and shook his head. "No, I…like the company."

I sat back in my chair and began to spread out the contents of my box on my side of his desk. I put a napkin down and let my fries fall in disarray upon it. I squeezed some ketchup packets out into my nugget box and began to dip my fries in it. I looked up at the end of my routine, and that was when I noticed him staring and watching my every move.

"So, I take it you've never eaten at McDonald's before."

He pulled the seal off his barbecue sauce container and placed it down in his nugget box.

"I might have, once. I think my dad took me. It was a very long time ago. My mother never permitted this kind of food in our house," he explained.

"Is that why you're mad at her?" I asked with my mouth full of nugget.

"I'm not angry with my mother," he replied, almost sounding offended.

"Then, why don't you ever want to talk to her? Jessica told me you never take her calls."

He refused to look at me, and instead, he focused on his fries. "I don't wish to speak on this, but no, I'm not angry with my mother."

I nodded and then returned my attention to my food. I knew I should probably just get up and go. It seemed as if my presence caused him distress. He had said he wanted my company, but the topics I came up with in my head might have led to disaster. So, I found a topic, thinking I would be perfectly safe, and it turned into the weirdest conversation I would ever have.

"Why don't you want to go to your high school reunion? You're, like, living the dream. Every person there wanted to be the billionaire at their ten-year, and I doubt anyone else was able to accomplish it from your class."

He took a long sigh and never looked at me. I felt like I made him nervous, which was ludicrous, since he had the power and money to take me down in every single way humanly and probably extraterrestrial-ly possible.

"I didn't particularly care for my former classmates. I vowed when I left…graduated early, that I'd never go back there. I hated every last one of them."

It was so plainly obvious from his statement that Edward Cullen had been the kid who had probably spent most of his time stuffed in his locker or with his face at the bottom of an American Standard toilet. Most kids were assholes in school. I had just made sure to never let it get to me. I had been a loner, but I definitely had not been the type of girl who would put up with anyone's crap. Most people had steered clear of me. I had my own struggles in high school, but it wasn't the school part that had given me grief.

"That's why it's even more important to show up. Show all those assholes what you've become. I mean…I'm sure most of them know, or perhaps they don't, and then you helicopter in like something out of Romy and Michelle and say, 'Eat my chopper dust, bitches!'"

He looked pained, thinking over my words. He picked up one fry and put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly.

"But what do I know?" I mumbled. "If I had the opportunity to go to my high school reunion, I'd rather stab myself in the eyeballs with acid-dipped steak knives than have to be stuck around those people again."

Once again, it became awkwardly silent. I wondered if I should just go. He would have a much better time if I left. He could toss his food and then escape down his secret elevator and find something healthy and more befitting a billionaire to munch on.

I stood up and began tossing the contents of my food back into my box.

"You don't have to leave," he spoke up.

"Oh…I'm sure you have a lot of work to get to, and I don't want to take too much time away from my desk. Jessica would love nothing more than to write me up again. Besides, I'm sure the phones…"

"Jessica did what?" he interrupted.

I cringed. I didn't want to be a narc.

"Nothing. She did nothing." I turned to leave.

"Tell me. That's a direct order," he stated, standing up from his desk, his courage growing once more.

I sighed and flipped back around. "Direct order? I didn't realize we were in the army, Sir." I gave him a half-hearted salute.

He placed his hands on his hips, probably hoping to look threatening, but then he quickly realized his hands were covered in cheap fry grease, and he did not look happy about making that mistake. He looked over his suit to see what damage had been done from my cheap fast food lunch.

"Would you please just tell me! One of these days, it'd be nice if you at least attempted to treat me like I was the boss," he huffed.

"Well, geez, boss man, perhaps you should've interviewed prospective assistants to ensure you were getting someone who exemplified professional and productive. I wanted the mailroom, but you pulled me up here. Why? I have no idea. Will you ever tell me? Probably not. Why? Because when you're a billionaire, you can do crazy-ass things, and no one will say anything against you for it," I complained, waving my hands through the air, while dancing around his office.

"You have a problem with the billionaire thing, don't you?" he asked.

I sighed and sat back down in the chair across from his desk. "Not really. I have a problem with calling a spade a spade. It goes against social norms, I know. But I'm not the kind of person who feels the need to be politically correct, or shy away from certain things, because it may make you feel uncomfortable. Some say it's a curse, I say it's a gift."

Once he saw me sit back down, he seemed to feel he could sit as well, but not before he cleaned his hands with a moist towelette and smoothed his suit with a brush of his hands. He sat back down and pulled his chair up closer to the desk.

"Jessica?" he stated.

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "She's an idiot. She wrote me up for being late this morning. Said if I did it again, I'd be fired. I wanted to explain to her how that was highly unlikely, because it seems you made a deal with the devil, and now you're forced to live with the consequences by keeping me on. I don't think I could do anything that'd get you to fire me…even if I tried."

He cleared his throat and replied, "I'll deal with Jessica."

"Please, don't bother. Let her believe she has power. I imagine it'll go more smoothly for me, if she thinks she can boss me around. If you take that away from her, she may try to cut open a vein with her Amex card."

"You like to talk a lot, don't you?"

I narrowed my eyes at his question. I moved my mouth to say something, but he cut me off.

"It's not a bad thing. I notice you never give just a simple answer. You seem to give me a monologue."

I could feel myself beginning to blush. I guessed I hadn't realized I did such a thing. I didn't know why his words made me embarrassed. I rarely found myself embarrassed. I looked around the room and tried to come up with a change of topic…quickly.

"So…technology…pharmaceuticals…transportation. Why these areas? You seem to have a hard time just picking one thing to major in."

I saw him perk up at my question. His food was long forgotten. He sat a little taller in his chair and eased it back.

"Well, I've always loved technological advances, and it's a line of work that's always changing and constantly improving. Always challenging. It fascinates me. I originally was pre-med, which is one of the reasons I entered pharmaceuticals. Also, a lot of what we do here is researching and innovating new technology to advance the medical field. So, in a way, I was able to be a part of the medical community, without having to deal with the patients."

"And transportation?" I asked.

He shrugged and blushed a little. "Cars are cool. Planes are fast. I don't really have a better reason."

"I guess what they say is true, boys will be boys," I laughed. "So, you wanted to be a doctor? That was your big thing when you were a child?"

"My father is a doctor. I thought I wanted to follow in his footsteps, but…it wasn't for me."

I nodded. "Okay, so now, you have all of this…what's next? I mean, is there anywhere else you can go, since you pretty much reached the ceiling?"

I didn't mean to sound like a reporter writing some Vanity Fair article, but I guessed once you got me going, I really didn't shut up as I should have.

"Next…"

He seemed to get nervous again. Long gone was the confidence he'd had when he had been speaking about his livelihood. I saw him swallow and think about what he wanted to say. I was about to jump in and save him from answering, when he replied, "I…want…I'm hoping…"

He was so nervous I was practically on the edge of my seat. If I'd had popcorn, I would have been popping it into my mouth anxiously. But I didn't have popcorn. Ooh, I had fries. I popped a couple of those bad boys into my mouth and waited. I never in a million years would have guessed what was going to come out of his mouth.

"I want to deposit my genetic material into a viable vessel."

My mouth slightly opened, and a piece of chewed-up fry nearly escaped. I quickly closed my mouth and swallowed before saying, "You…want to make a baby?"

He nodded his head slowly, and his eyes seemed to do this weird blinking thing.

"Why?" I gasped.

"Why not? You don't want to have children?" he asked.

"Uh…no. I mean…I doubt a child would want to have me. Look at me! I'm a mess. I can barely take care of myself."

He looked back over to his computer and said quietly, "It's…just a thought for the future. Besides, I have a long way to go before I can accomplish it."

"I don't see why. I mean, babies seem to happen easily enough. Just knock a girl up, and poof, nine months later…screaming baby."

"Well, I uh…haven't found the right woman. I haven't accomplished a particular rite of passage in order to necessitate…in order to facilitate…" he paused and then continued, "I'd imagine asking a random woman to have a baby isn't as easy as you make it out to be."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"A rite of passage?" I asked, wondering if he meant the impossible. He definitely looked away from me and seemed to place all his focus into whatever was on his computer screen.

"Are you a virgin?" I asked quietly.

 _I'll take words I never thought I'd say to my boss for a thousand, Alex._

He refused to look at me, and I could see his jaw tense. He gave a slight nod of his head, still not answering me.

"How is that possible? I mean…you're a filthy rich, damn good-looking guy. You could literally walk into any bar within a one-block radius and have twenty girls all over you…ready to jump on your dick."

I knew I so should not have been talking like this to my boss, but I was absolutely fascinated by him. He had to be around my age, and yet, how could he be a virgin? Plus, he started it.

"I'd also imagine these women you speak of are probably riddled with disease," he replied, reaching over to his hand sanitizer and giving himself a generous pump of the solution for good measure.

"How could you have gone this long? I mean, sex is like breathing. You've never done _anything_? No touching…kissing? No first or second base?"

He sighed. "Ah, the dreaded baseball analogy. No. I've been busy, and I didn't want any distractions."

"You think of sex as a distraction?" I gasp, horrified.

I found myself in shock. I heard myself stuttering all over the place, my head surely about to explode.

"Look, it was a personal decision for me. I didn't want to just find a random drunk woman in a bar who'd undoubtedly mock me for my lack of experience. At this age, I'm sure most women would find a twenty-six-year-old virgin…repulsive. I wasn't about to pay for it, either, if that's what you're thinking. I guess, I just…wanted to be good. I've never failed at anything I set out to do, and I think sexual intercourse could be my first…failure."

It seemed as if he could monologue just as well as I could when you got him going.

"It's sex. I'm not sure you can fail at sex, unless the condom breaks, and then you end up with a surprise nine months later. But, not for you, …you'd have to put that in the win column, since you want a baby. However, there are a whole host of sexually transmitted diseases that could plague you, which I'd imagine by how many times you've pushed your dispenser over there, it'd probably put that sexual experience in the fail column. You're putting far too much stress on it, my friend."

He looked me over and then tilted his head slightly as if some idea was springing forth from the far reaches of his mind.

"You seem rather experienced," he said.

"Did you just call me a whore?" I asked, only slightly offended.

His eyes blinked, as he sat there thinking, wondering if he had. "I…don't believe so."

The room got quiet. I began wondering if his comment was asking me if I would do him the honor of popping the top on his champagne bottle. But since I was rather blunt, I didn't sit around and wonder.

"You want me…to fuck you?"

"What? No!" He jumped up from his chair. "My apologies, Miss Swan. We shouldn't even be speaking like this. I'm sure you may find this whole topic harassing."

I was downgraded to Miss Swan.

"It's okay, Edward. I'm not going to run out and join a movement." I shook my head and bit my lip. "My apologies…Mr. Cullen."

I wanted to smack myself for my mistake.

"We're talking about sex. I'm sure you've earned the right to call me Edward."

I tilted my head and studied him with my discerning eyes, as I began to chew on my lip.

I could tell he was attracted to me. Hence, the reason he seemed to be nervous around me often. After only knowing this guy for two days, I was already considering fucking my boss. I told myself I would be doing community service. Poor guy needed this. I wasn't fucking my boss. It was merely one human being helping out another. Deep down, I knew why I was considering this. As I'd said, he was hot, and I hadn't had sex in a while. Plus, the whole virgin thing was somewhat exciting. I had never been anyone's first.

"Say…it was me. Say…I did it. Taught you how to have sex. How do you know I'm not riddled with disease?"

"I have your medical records which have cleared you," he said, as if it was a normal statement, but my mouth dropped open, and I was sure my face looked threatening, because he immediately added, "When you signed your contract, it gave me permission…"

That damn contract I had signed and hadn't read. I felt like it was still wrong, but it was also wrong of me to sign something without reading over it. I eased up. It wasn't like there was anything worth hiding in my medical records, anyway.

I began to tear into my index fingernail, while I considered the possibilities.

"You know, biting your fingernails is highly unsanitary," he said.

I gave him a look, before removing the finger from my mouth. I pointed it at him and said, "Edward, if you can't handle this, then you're not going to be able to handle my juices mixing with your juices to create one possibly fruity cummy cocktail, especially if you've eaten a lot of pineapples the night before. My point is, you have to dial down the germaphobia, if you ever want to achieve liftoff, you get me?"

Once again, he deliberated on my monologue. He sat back down in his high-backed leather chair as if he was preparing to draw up a contract and was in the midst of negotiations.

"Perhaps, we should shower first."

I wanted to laugh, but I refrained, knowing how fragile he was. Instead, I nodded my head slowly. "Yes…that'd probably be best."

He looked me over and then added, "And you can douche."

I jumped out of my seat. "What? No! I'm not going to douche. Look, I keep my lady bits nice and clean, and if you can't handle a little…nature, then we shouldn't even be discussing this, because you'll never find a germ-free vag to take you out on your maiden voyage. Maiden voyage? Male voyage? What's the opposite of maiden?" I pondered.

"Well, there really isn't an opposite. Maidens are sometimes referred to as damsels, which does have an opposite. The French term is damoiseau," he replied.

"Calm down there, psycho-pedia. I don't need a vocabulary lesson. My point is, if we're going to do this, you need to ease up on the sanitary sauce over there. I don't want you stopping mid-orgasm to hose me down."

"So…you're actually considering this?" he asked anxiously.

I sat back down slowly. "I'm…considering it. Provided we have rules."

"Rules?" he asked.

"You know, a set of guidelines to make sure this doesn't end badly, and when I say badly, I mean, you firing me unjustly, which leads me to file a lawsuit, bringing certain phrases into court, which causes you to settle under the table, because you don't want your good name dragged through the mud. Rules!"

"Rules," he nodded.

I stood up and began to pace around the office. "Rule number one…" I said, putting my thinking cap on, "No kissing on the mouth. Call me Pretty Woman, but she had her points."

"What points?" he asked. "I don't know what you're referring to."

I deflated and gave him a look. "Don't you ever watch Netflix?"

"No…I don't watch television very much. I find it a distra…"

"A distraction," I finished with him in harmony.

"Just…no kissing on the mouth, okay?" I continued with my pacing path. "Rule number two…no oral sex. I'm not about to suck your dick. This is about teaching you how to be good at sex, so you can go on and find a…viable vessel to deposit your…juicy whip in…whatever. You don't need any lessons that'd necessitate a blow. I'm not going to swallow your spunk. You'd definitely need to pay me for that. That was a joke, don't get out your checkbook."

He squirmed a little in his chair, feeling uncomfortable with the conversation. For me, it was easy to talk about sex. Probably because I'd had some. For him, he was this dainty flower who still had all his petals intact.

"Bella...maybe we shouldn't…"

"You called me Bella," I interrupted.

He sighed and picked up a pen from off his desk to focus on. "You called me Edward," he replied.

I walked a little closer to his desk. "If that was all it took, I should've called you Edward from the start."

A smile played on his lips. "I guess it'd be preferable to…what was it you said? Douche?"

I laughed softly. "So, you did hear that?"

He smiled and then finally had the courage to look up at me. "I…think you should really think this over. I don't want to take advantage of you, Bella. You've only been here for two days. Perhaps, this is going a little fast."

"I've known some guys for less than two hours. Hell, from start to finish, it's been less than two hours. But, you're the virgin, so I guess in this scenario, I'd be taking advantage of you."

He shook his head. "No, you are not. I just really want you to take time and think this over. You do not have to do this. I do not want you to become upset after…if…if it goes badly."

I sighed and took a step back. "You're probably right. Maybe we should both think this over. Like you said, you've only known me for two days, and even though you seem to have this magical file on me that tells you everything about me, you could probably do better. Well, I know you can do much better, even without paying for it…"

Edward stood up and stepped toward me. "No, that isn't what I mean. I…of course I want to, but again, I think you should think this over. Heavily."

I stepped back and nodded, before I headed over towards the door to go back out to my desk. I turned to look back at him with a witty remark waiting to make its debut from my lips, but I couldn't think of any. A part of me felt a little rejected, even though he'd said he wanted to. That was silly. I didn't know why I was feeling this way. I'd guess, admittedly, a part of me wanted to go through with this.

I shook my head and pulled the door open to return to my desk. I walked out, and Jessica stood up from her desk and hurried over to me.

"Look, I don't care if you're fucking the boss, but it'd be nice if you can find a little time to do your job," she snapped.

"I'm not fucking the boss," I snapped back at her. Yet. "Geez, what's your problem?" I pushed past her and walked toward my desk.

"It'd make sense. How could someone with absolutely no experience get this position? Plus, it seems as if you can do no wrong."

"Miss Stanley." Edward's voice caught us both off guard.

Jessica turned around slowly and seemed to cower.

"In the future, it is not in your job description to write up my employees. If it happens again, you're fired!"

He waited to see her give a small nod of her head, before he turned to go back into his office. Once he was out of sight, Jessica looked back over to me to give me a challenging stare. I flopped back into my chair, irritated that he said something, when I had so clearly asked him not to.

I didn't see Edward for the rest of the day. When five o'clock rolled around, I wondered if I should say goodbye, but I decided against it. I headed down the elevator, watching it fill up with people as it went. I thought about this…turn of events the whole way down. Hell, since I had left his office, it was all I could think of.

The elevator arrived on the ground floor, and Rosalie was waiting for me as the doors opened.

"So…how did it go?" she asked.

I sighed and shook my head. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

 **THANK YOU TO DOLLYBIGMOMMA FOR EDITING!**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

I didn't tell Rosalie a thing. Well, I told her all about Jessica, and she howled in laughter at that juicy morsel. She was so focused on my tales of the devil assistant, she didn't even ask me anything about Edward. I was thankful, because I worried she would be able to read me if she had. I spent my whole night tossing and turning on my hard floor bed, thinking about my conversation with Edward. By the time morning had come around, I was half-convinced it had all been a dream.

Not having seen him the previous evening before I had left work, I felt my blood pressure rising, as I reached the seventy-seventh floor. I exited five minutes earlier than when my shift was to begin, and Jessica was already sitting at her desk, her evil eye on me, while she caffeinated up.

I muttered a good morning in her direction, before going to sit at my desk. I clicked around on the computer and answered phones, as the morning slowly passed by, until I gathered up the courage to finally speak to Jessica.

"It's almost noon. Is Mr. Cullen not coming in today?" I asked.

She looked over and gave me a frosty stare. "He's been here since seven."

I scowled at that news. No email or call. Was he avoiding me? Maybe it really had been a dream. _Come on, Bella. You've never had that good of an imagination._

Lunchtime came, and I didn't leave my desk, even to go warm up some food. When Jessica finally took off at one o'clock to go eat, I decided I'd had enough of the silent treatment. I walked straight over to his door and ran through a couple of lines in my head. Once I settled on what I would say, I charged through into his office.

He was in a navy suit today. It was dark in his office, as he had the blinds drawn, and he was standing over by his desk. I marched straight up to him, and before he could say my name in acknowledgment, I said, "Look, I've thought about it, and if you're game…I say we fuck!"

My intentions had been to rattle him. He looked down and then towards the wall behind where I stood, before clearing his throat softly. I slowly turned to look behind me. His wall had disappeared, and in its place was a huge screen with nine different people's faces staring back at me.

I gasped and stepped back, horrified. "Why is The Brady Bunch on your wall?"

He cleared his throat once more. "I'm on an international video conference call."

I began to laugh quietly, while cringing slightly.

"Hi," I waved at all the faces. "Bonjour. Hola. Kon'nichiwa. And that about covers my foreign language skills, so I'm going to go."

I couldn't look at Edward's face. I didn't know what it would hold. Anger. Embarrassment. Whatever it was, I didn't want to see it. I closed the door behind me and ran to the elevator. I didn't care if I was going to be written up by Jessica again. I couldn't stay here.

I was embarrassed. I was, like, never embarrassed. How had this happened? It seemed to be happening more and more, since I had come to this blasted company.

My feet found their way back to the little coffee shop I had visited the morning before. It seemed as if a lifetime had passed since my last visit. I was sitting in the corner once again with my standard bag of carbs, stuffing my face, while I contemplated whether I was going to return to work. Also, I kept replaying the incident in my head, berating my opening line.

I saw two finely dressed feet appear in my peripheral. My eyes slowly traveled up the fancy-ass navy suit. "How did you find me?" I sighed.

"I had you followed," he replied, and I sat up quickly and looked around.

"Bella, you seem to consume a large quantity of carbohydrates whenever you're stressed. It wasn't difficult to figure out where you'd ran off to."

I felt myself calm from his little joke. I slid the third donut back into the bag and very subtly placed the bag into my purse.

"You don't need to be embarrassed, Bella."

"I'm not embarrassed," I snapped. "I'm internationally embarrassed."

His smile quirked the side of his mouth, as he sat down in the comfy chair across from me.

"So…do you wish to discuss this?"

"I think we should talk about this in private," I replied, looking around at the various patrons.

"I thought this _was_ rather private, considering you just announced that you wanted to fuck me to nine different countries," he said, amused.

"I'm going to take my carbs and go eat them somewhere else," I threatened, standing up.

He reached out and took my hand as I passed. I felt my heart literally skip a beat. I pulled my hand out of his quickly, wondering what I had just felt.

"Bella, it was just a joke," he defended.

"Very funny. Ha ha. I thought you were trying to avoid me. How was I supposed to know you were on a video conference all morning long?"

"It was on the office calendar in Outlook."

I felt strange and still embarrassed, so I tried to play it off. I shrugged and replied, "Are you done making fun of me?"

He stood up, towering over me, and I took a small step back.

"Can we return to my office?"

He held out his hand, indicating for me to go, so I did. Once again, just as the morning before, we quietly walked back to the office, side by side. On the walk back, I began to rehearse in my head what I planned to say. He was always so smart, I felt the constant need to stay ahead of the game.

We went through the revolving door. Yes, I had managed to get it down, so I wouldn't feel the need to pause before stepping in. We walked over to his private elevator, and before he could pull out his sanitary napkin, I pushed the button for him.

"Please, allow me. I've had all my shots, so I'm sure I can handle the germ warfare threats the elevator poses," I quipped.

He narrowed his eyes, but he didn't respond. I stood silently, staring at him with my arms folded across my chest, challenging him to look away first, but he accepted the challenge, and his eyes never left mine. By the time we had reached the top, there was some threat the elevator posed, but it wasn't germ warfare. I was thankful the minute the ding rang out and the doors opened.

Thanks to that little showdown in the elevator, I could feel all my rehearsing go quickly down the drain.

Instead of heading towards his desk, like I had thought he would do, he continued towards the opposite side of the room, where his modern chair and couches were set up. I cautiously walked over and waited for him to pick a chair, before I sat down as well, leaving a small glass table to separate us.

"So…you've thought about…" he began.

"Yes…and I have a few more things I'd like to discuss first, but they're fairly minor, I think."

He nodded and waited for me to continue.

"So…no kissing," I recapped.

He nodded.

"No blowjobs," I added slowly.

God, this was weird. I'd never had to go into so much detail before. Usually, it was the same old story. Find a guy. Fuck a guy. The only rule was, be sure to leave afterwards. And with those guys, there was kissing and bjs. So, why, exactly, was I making those rules now?

"Any other stipulations?" Edward asked, after seeing me pause for a little too long.

"Uh…rule number three. You can't fall in love with me. I'm not saying this because I think so highly of myself. It's a proven fact that virgins tend to get a yin for the first person to pop their cherry. Just because I'm the first person you have sex with, it doesn't mean you should think the world begins and ends with my pussy. There are a lot of well-qualified pussies out there. Don't get hung up on mine, okay?"

"Okay. I will not fall in love with you. Anything else?"

He seemed so casual that I almost wanted to believe him.

"Surprisingly enough, we haven't discussed…safety. Knowing you, you'll probably want to wrap your shit up, so you don't have to worry about germs, but just FYI, I'm on the shot, so there'll be no worries if the condom should break, and as you already told me, you know I'm disease-free."

He shook his head slightly. "I'm not worried about that. I…I'm not too worried about your germs, either."

I felt myself perk up. I felt slightly honored.

"Okay, so, I guess my next question is…when? Or where, for that matter. I mean…what, exactly, did you have in mind?" I asked, returning to biting my nail.

He looked over towards the window and stared. "I guess…that's up to you. I'll leave it up to you. If you'd feel better here, even on company hours, so you're not inconvenienced, that's fine."

I recoiled. "No, not on company time. Then, that really would make me a whore. Look, I'm easy…well, I mean I'm able to go anywhere, anytime. Not that I'm _easy_ , even though I've only known you for three days, so I'm sure this whole experience isn't really vouching for me right now…"

He held out his hands, indicating that I should calm. "Bella, it's okay. You don't need to stress about this. If you don't want to do this…"

"No!" I cut him off. "I do. I mean…I'm cool. This is just…weird. I mean, I've never had to talk so much about the act in my life. I didn't even get the birds and bees talk from my own parents. I had to read about it in Cosmo. I'm cool. I'm a cucumber. Really!"

I didn't know who I was trying to convince more. Him or me.

"Okay, well, then…how about tomorrow evening? I can send a car for you. I have a house about a half hour from here, but it's hidden by the trees, so I think it'd be best if you allowed me to send a car to your apartment."

"NO! I mean…not the apartment. How about…the car picks me up here?"

The last thing I wanted was for Rosalie to find out where I was going. Sending some fancy car to our neck of the woods would be so conspicuous. She would never let me leave the house without hounding me for information.

"Okay. Does…six-thirty sound late enough?" he asked.

"That's fine," I replied.

We both sat there in a brand new awkward silence. If we were like this now, what were we going to be like without clothes? If Vegas could make odds on this, I wasn't sure which would hold favor. Was this really going to happen? Or would one of us get cold feet?

"So…I guess I'll get to work and…see you opening night," I joked.

"I'll bring the cherries," he replied.

I paused, giving him a questioning glance. Just what kind of freaky shit did he think we were going to do?

"Because…you said…cherry popping…" he immediately became flustered, and I got what he meant.

I began laughing, mostly at his embarrassment. I slapped him on the back and replied, "Try and keep the comedy act out of the bedroom. No girl ever wants to go home with the standup comedian."

I went over to the door and looked back at him once more. He had this far off look on his face, but there was a slight smile, so I didn't think on it too much. I went back to my desk and looked around to see that Jessica didn't appear to be back from lunch yet, which was unusual. That girl kept to her watch as if it was dosing her with her daily happy pill.

As I sat back down at my desk, Jessica came flying off the elevator and rushed back over to her desk. She looked a little stressed, but I didn't worry, since she was a very stressful person. The rest of the day, she didn't even say one snide word or give me a crossed eye. I would look over to her every so often, just to make sure she was still breathing, but she seemed too stressed to care about me.

Edward came out around four o'clock and told me he was leaving for the day. It was Friday. We would have our first…I meant one and only sex date tomorrow. Saturday. He slipped me a piece of paper and a small box and told me to have a good night.

The moment he left, Jessica jumped out of her chair and went into his office. She didn't come back out immediately, and I was so very curious as to why she was in there. I wanted to go check on her, but I didn't. Maybe Edward had asked her to do something. Maybe she was responsible for cleaning his office.

I looked back down at the box he had left for me and opened it up. Inside was a cell phone. A fancy cell phone I could barely figure out how to turn on. It would take me the better part of a year to figure out this bad boy. I placed the phone in my purse and put the box into my file cabinet drawer. I opened the piece of paper, and on it was his personal phone number. I knew it bothered him that I didn't have a cell phone, but I doubted he had given this to me for sexting. I put the phone number in my purse next to the phone, deciding I would try to figure out how to enter his information later.

Jessica was still in Edward's office, so I stood up, preparing to go peek in on her, when a whole slew of security officers emptied out of the elevator and charged into Edward's office. I watched the door, listening curiously, as I heard Jessica start squealing. She was flailing and crying, as they pulled her out of his office.

She kept screaming that she could explain, but it took all of two minutes for the team to have her out and in the elevator. One stayed behind and emptied her personal items into a box. I stood there in disbelief, dying to know what had just happened.

I sat back down and ran through every possible scenario in my mind. I began to wonder if Edward had fired her for me. I saw the shiny new phone peeking out of my bag, calling to me. Not literally, but…you knew what I meant.

Nancy got off the elevator and took the box from the lone security guard. "Hello, Isabella," she greeted me.

"Hi…" I couldn't even finish, still in shock.

"Looks like you've just been promoted," Nancy smirked and heaved the box into her arms, walking off toward the elevators.

I felt my skin begin to heat up. I looked down at the phone and scrambled to find Edward's number. I felt my hands shaking, as I typed it in and fired off a message. It was short, sweet, and simple.

 _ ***W.T.F.?***_

The phone lit up within seconds, as Edward's number was displayed across the top in an attempt to call me. I slid the screen button and picked up successfully.

"Is everything alright, Isabella?"

I wanted to smack him upside the head, but he was lucky he'd had the good sense to leave already.

"No! Everything is not alright. Did you know Jessica was just escorted out of here? Did you do that? Did you fire her for me?"

"Yes…I mean no. I mean, yes, I knew Jessica was being terminated. However, it had nothing to do with you."

"Are you sure you don't want to try that line again? Once more, with feeling," I muttered.

"Isabella…"

"I thought we were cool with one another."

"We are…" he began.

"Then, what's with the Isabella? Or is this a professional call? Should I be Mr. Cullen-ing you again?"

I heard him sigh into the phone, and just as I was going to call him on being irritated with me, he piped up. "Bella. Miss Stanley has been relieved of her duties. It doesn't concern you," he replied.

"Nancy was just up here and said I was promoted. How does this not concern me? Was she speaking truth? Am I promoted?"

He was quiet for a minute, or what seemed like a minute. "If you want…"

"Are you out of your damn mind!" I screeched. "I still don't even know how to tell when you have a video conference on Outlook yet. You can't hire me in the first position. I don't know what the hell I'm doing! Your company is going to go under in a day if you put me in that position."

I could hear him give a soft chuckle. "Bella, you're talented, but I don't believe you're single-handedly capable of bringing down a multi-billion-dollar company in a day," he replied.

"Would you please take this seriously? And for once, could you act like the man who managed to accomplish a challenging feat before the age of thirty. I don't know how you were able to keep this company going for this long, if these are the crack decisions you made from the beginning."

I heard him huff loudly into the phone. "Fine, I'll have another assistant ready to begin on Monday morning. Someone who has years of experience and can make sure you don't…burn the place down. Satisfied?"

"Can I make one more request?" I asked.

"Just one? I'd be mighty impressed. Go ahead."

"Can this new assistant not be a crazy bitch like the last one?"

"I'll see you tomorrow evening, Isabella," he said, ignoring me.

"No, you won't, if you plan on calling me Isabella," I replied.

"Goodnight…Bella."

"Now, was that so hard…Edward?" I teased.

"Six-thirty, Bella. I can't wait."

He disconnected the call quickly, probably a little embarrassed by his confession. I looked over and saw it was quitting time. I was happy I no longer had to deal with Jessica. I could already feel the aura in this place brightening. I still wondered what she had been doing in Edward's office that she would risk getting fired for. I briefly wondered if it was the kind of information I could get out of Edward, like, pillow talk and all that.

I spent my Saturday morning and bank account at this trendy store, stocking up on clothes for the office and for every day. With the advance burning a hole in my pocket, I might have gone a little spend crazy, but I wasn't so stupid as to waste my money on high-end designer shit.

I had told Rosalie a friend from school was in town, and I wanted to hang out with him that night, therefore, solidifying my alibi. I hadn't lied about sex and who I was having it with since high school. I showered thoroughly, as Edward had requested, and I made sure all my bits were shaved properly. I felt my nerves coming on quickly. In everything I did, I kept thinking of how this was Edward's first time, so I wanted to give him something close to perfection. I was never one to be too self-conscious, but suddenly, I was nit-picking every part on me. I wanted to make sure my hair was perfect, my skin was properly moisturized with lotion, and my teeth were flossed and brushed, even though there would be no kissing.

Rosalie dashed out the door at five o'clock to go to a movie with some guy, so I had the place to myself. I fired off a text to Edward, asking if he could send his fancy-ass pickup car to the apartment, since I no longer had to worry about my nosey roommate. He replied just one word back to me. _Yes_.

I ran through all the outfits I had bought, hoping to find something sexy but not skanky. It was a fine line for this event. I settled on a black tank top and a short dark jean skirt. I was hoping I was sexy and yet casual. Kind of like I wasn't expecting to get sex, but…if it happened, then, great. It was more of a mood I was going for.

The doorbell rang at six-thirty exactly, and I hurried through the crap apartment to grab my purse and new phone. I opened the door and found a driver waiting on the other side. I locked up and was ready. Edward said it would take a half-hour to get to his place. As we drove out of the city and into the trees, I was thankful he had provided transportation. I couldn't imagine giving an Uber driver directions. The farther we got from Seattle, the more compacted the trees became. We turned off onto a private road and headed towards a large iron gate. The gate opened, and it took another five minutes, before we would even see a hint of a house.

I had tried to imagine what a house Edward Cullen lived in would look like. This was not what I was expecting. The whole house seemed sharp and jagged, with spires of glass shooting up into the air. It looked like something people would build in the future, when they lived on the moon, completely modern in every way. And yes, it was huge, but the size was not what I was focused on.

The driver pulled up to the front, and I thanked him before exiting. I walked up the ten steps to the front door and looked it over for a doorbell. There was this weird lighted circle instead of a keyhole. I sighed, wondering if I would have been more up to date with space houses had I watched Star Trek. I banged my fist upon the cold hard metal door.

The door opened a minute later, and it was Edward.

"Hi," he mumbled nervously.

"Hey…so, you don't have an Alfred?"

"An Alfred?" he questioned.

I shook my head. "I mean it, Edward. For the love of God, please, get Netflix. I meant that, you don't have an old white dude to answer your door and wipe your ass?"

"Um…no, I don't really have servants. I have a fantastic cleaning crew, however."

"Why does that not surprise me. So, are you going to invite me in, or are we doing this right here? I didn't think you'd want porch sex for your first time, but this is your show, and we can do this however you'd like. I myself haven't ever had porch sex, so that could be my first, and seeing as how you have so much privacy out here, it could be achieved easily, but we might need to let the driver leave first."

Why was I babbling? God, I felt like I was the virgin.

"Sorry, please…come in," he replied, opening the door wider for me to walk through.

I took a small breath and let it go.

"So…you didn't bring anything with you?" he asked, as I walked around, admiring the entry room of his space house.

"What was I supposed to bring? A duffel bag of toys? I don't really think you're ready for that, Edward."

"Maybe some clothes?" he offered.

"I…don't think I'll be spending the night, and I plan to fully undress before we get going, so I'm sure I won't spoil my new outfit. Plus, if I do, I'm sure you have a washing machine in this space house," I said.

"Space house?" he asked, confused.

I shrugged. "This house is unlike anything I've ever seen. Seriously, it's kind of weird, but great. Really."

"Thank you, I had fun designing it," he said, sounding a little proud of himself.

"Seriously? Is there anything you don't do? Well…other than the obvious," I said, looking towards his crotch.

He laughed, thankfully. "Do you want something to eat? I know it is kind of early."

"Let me guess, you cook, too," I replied.

"I do, but I can also order in."

I shook my head and told him I wasn't hungry.

"Would you like a tour?" he asked.

I let go of the breath I was about to pass out from holding and nodded. Yes, a tour would be preferable to me going on with more babbling. Edward showed me to his kitchen, which was wasted on me, since I didn't know how to cook anything that didn't have microwave directions. He showed me to his gym, which also didn't impress me, as I thought working out might be the seventh circle of hell. I saw the staircase, and instead of listening to him go on about his state-of-the-art office, I left said office and began to climb the stairs. Leave it to Edward to want to give me an hour-long tour, before he would just head up to where we should be.

"Which room is yours?" I asked.

I saw him become nervous once again, as he slowly walked toward the last door. I entered the room and looked around. It was nice, but a little modern for my taste. His bed was sleek, but his duvet cover looked mighty fluffy for the man standing in front of me. I looked up, and half the ceiling was made of glass.

I pointed my finger towards it and gave him a look. "Now, I know why you haven't had sex. You were worried about people peeping in," I quipped.

"Uh…no, the glass…you can't see in, only out. It's also bulletproof, weatherproof, and able to withstand a hurricane."

"Because we have so many of those in Seattle."

I walked over and found his bathroom. It was the size of Rosalie's entire apartment.

"Wow! Now, this is worth the tour," I remarked with a whistle.

Edward was still standing next to the couch in his room, while he watched me assess his place. He was nervous, and I didn't blame him. Hell, I was nervous, and I'd done this before. I pulled my top off and was left with my brand new lacey black bra. I saw him gulp slightly, as I walked toward him.

"Now, a lot of guys think sex is the only act in a three-act play. If you really want to please a woman, it's important that you never think of sex as the only part you're willing to play."

I pushed him to sit down on his couch, and he did so willingly. I straddled him, and I could already feel him hard.

"Are you sure you want to do this? I've never been with a virgin, and the last thing I want is for you to be crying in the corner, saying you wished you would've waited for Miss Right."

He took a small breath, before looking into my eyes. "I think I've waited long enough."

And away we go!

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for taking the time to read and review. I honestly can't remember when I had so much fun writing a story, so I'm super happy you're embracing these characters the way I have.**

 **Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing!**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

I reached back and unfastened my bra, letting my breasts fall free naturally. In that moment, I was glad to have been blessed very generously in the boob department for his first-time viewing pleasure. By the size of his eyes, I would say he was very pleased. I took his hands and slowly placed them where I was sure they wanted to be.

"Breasts are a beautiful thing, but I'm not a cow, so no need to pull at my nipples like you're trying to milk me. Just begin slowly and roll your fingers over the nipples and watch them harden."

I was seriously turned on. I had not foreseen this happening, being so turned on that the virgin could make me cum. I considered it a good night, when even an experienced guy could get me off. I found there was nothing like explaining in detail what you wanted the guy to do. It was like one of those porno sex calls, where you told the girl what you wanted her to do, and she did it.

"Caress. You can get a little rougher with the girls. Lord knows my gyno goes to town when he's checking for lumps. They're built to withstand, so get in there."

He began to massage my breasts more tenderly, and I had to stop myself from moaning loudly, but I gave a little moan, because he needed to know he was doing a good job, after all. I raised up on my knees, so my breasts were aligned with his mouth.

"Go ahead and suck."

He took my nipple into his mouth. It had been far too long. I should have rubbed one out before I came tonight, so I wouldn't be moaning so much. His mouth released me, and I ground a little on his lap, and then, I felt it.

Edward made a weird sound and went still. I felt the cum through his slacks moisten the area between my legs.

"I…I…I'm so sorry," Edward apologized and pulled me off him.

I knew he was embarrassed. I didn't want to traumatize him, so I tapped into my softer side and walked towards him. I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. I mean that. In fact, it's a compliment. I guess you found me attractive enough…"

"Of course, I find you attractive," he snapped.

I knew he was more upset with himself than with me, so I didn't take his tone personally. I walked towards his bathroom. I found a soft towel on his rack and dampened it, before I brought it back. I took him by the hand and pulled him back over to the bed this time. I was a little nervous, because I wasn't sure what he was going to allow, when he was in a foul mood like this.

I stood him in front of the bed and began to undo his belt.

"Bella," he said, stopping my hands with his.

"Would you just shut it and let me do this?" I huffed.

He let go of my hands, and I continued to take his pants down. I saw he was wearing tightie-whities, and as good as he looked, they had to go. I couldn't think clearly, when I saw the offending manties. I would run out and grab him some manly boxers the second this was over.

I pulled his whities down, and his cock sprang forward, still hard and ready, which was impressive. I looked him over and was amazed. Amazed and suddenly very pleased.

"Edward, just so you know, when you do find Miss Right, she'll be a very satisfied woman."

I tried not to smile so much. I hadn't imagined what Edward was packing, so this was a very pleasant surprise.

He looked at me confused, so while there was a hiatus going on in his mind, I cleaned him up. I dropped the cum-filled towel to the floor, knowing how it would irk him, but he _had_ said he had a bomb-ass cleaning crew. Let's see what they made of that.

He wanted to say something, but before he could, I dropped my skirt and let my panties speak for the both of us.

"Screw the lesson, let's fuck!"

Going around him, I climbed up on his bed, and then I lay down across his pillows. I saw his nerves going into maximum overdrive, so I reached up and pulled him forward. This was when kissing would have gone a long way in not making this so awkward.

He slowly climbed on top of me, and I shimmied out of my panties and flung them to the floor to land near his cum rag.

I felt him line up with me, as he placed most of his weight on his elbows, while his body lay on top of mine. He looked me over, still quiet.

"Are you okay?" I asked softly.

Vegas bets were set. No more betting.

"I…I fear I'll do this incorrectly. I don't want to mess this up," he stammered.

"Edward, don't overthink it. There are only two holes to choose from. Hole A and hole B, and trust me, B will put up a fight. So, just let your snake do the work of finding the perfect hidey-hole."

He nodded and then slowly began once again, but then he stopped. He sighed and looked up into my eyes. "I want to do this, Bella…I do…can you just…"

"Take over?" I asked.

"At least, for this part."

I pushed him off me, and he lay on the bed. I positioned myself back on top, and this time, I grabbed his firm dick and lined it up. I looked into his eyes one last time, just to make sure he wasn't going to call a timeout, and then I lowered myself down on him.

I moved ever so slightly to give him the full effect. _Ladies and gentlemen, we have lift off._

I saw his whole body relax instantly. His head rolled back, and he looked up to his clear glass ceiling. I placed my hands on his chest and began to rip the shirt off him, sending his buttons flying everywhere. I saw his perfectly chiseled chest, and this made me want to reward him by moving up and down a little quicker.

I loved feeling him fill me. I couldn't believe how good his dick felt. I'd had long and skinny, short and stumpy…hell, I could give them all dwarf names, but until now, I'd never had an _Edward_. The girth on this bad boy made me never want to leave, and don't even get me started on the length. I forgot that I was supposed to be here for him, and I focused on finding my rhythm, so I could get my orgasm. It was imperative for me to orgasm, because most guys took that as a sign that they were good, when really, it was a joint effort. It would be wrong for me to fake it, so I was only thinking of Edward here, when I wanted to find my orgasm.

I heard the moans echoing throughout the room, and it took me a moment to realize the majority were coming from my loudmouth self. I felt Edward place his hands on my ass, and he joined in guiding me up and down, while I bounced on his cock.

He rained down obscenities, and I willingly joined in. I felt myself begin to fly. My heart rate was through the roof, and like a drug, my orgasm gave me an instant high. I wanted to stop and flop, but I didn't, because that would have been really fucked up of me, so I pushed on and began using every tool in my box to get this guy to cum.

If he hadn't shot his load earlier, it would have been over by now, but I was glad he had cum earlier. I would have been disappointed, if it had ended so quickly, and then he kicked me out of his bed.

Edward finally let out a loud, "Fuck!" and I knew he was filling me. He had waited twenty-six years for this. There was no way I was going to move off him now, without unleashing a shit ton of his baby gravy to slide down my legs. I slowly eased off him and flopped down into his creampuff duvet, wondering how quickly he would throw out the comforter, when he saw the cum stain I would surely leave behind.

I looked over towards him, and his face was more peaceful than I had ever seen it. It kind of made me want to go for round two. I wondered what I should do now? Get up and go clean off? Then what? Leave? The lessons were over, and I was upset that I hadn't taken longer to teach.

I lay in the most awkward creampuff duvet of my life! What to do? What to do?

"Thank you," Edward muttered softly.

I held my tongue, not wanting some snarky comment to come flying off and ruin this for him.

"Would you mind if I took a quick shower?" I asked.

He looked over to me. "No, go ahead."

I nodded and slid out of the bed. I cringed, when I felt the cum sauce travel down my legs, but I didn't let him see my face.

I crept off toward the shower and stepped in. I looked for the handle, but there wasn't one. Instead, there was a panel with a crap ton of computerized buttons.

"Uh…Edward?"

It took only a moment, before he was standing there, looking like something Michelangelo had sculpted. Michelangelo? Raphael? Which Ninja Turtle was it again? I shook the consuming thoughts from my head and pointed at the panel. "What the hell is this?"

"State-of-the-art temperature and water pressure control unit. It can even produce steam for a sauna effect, and depending on your mood, provide various soap scents."

"Fancy," I replied. "I just need it to turn on. How would one go about that? Fingerprint analysis? Retinal scan? What?" I asked.

"Of course not. That's only for the front door."

He walked into the shower with me and pushed several different combinations into the panel. The water shot out in every direction and was already the perfect temperature. I instantly groaned.

"Soap?" I asked, before he took off.

His hand moved toward a little spout I hadn't even noticed, and it pumped a squirt of liquid soap into his palm.

"This one is soap. That one is shampoo, and the other one is conditioner," he instructed.

I put my hand under the soap dispenser, and it squirted out a perfect portion into my palm.

"Cool! Another win for the space house."

He looked around awkwardly, probably wondering if he should leave now.

"Just so you know, this shower is great and all, but you have one major design flaw here."

His interest was piqued.

"There isn't a bench in here! Great shower sex needs a strong, stable bench. Your future Miss Right might be disappointed, FYI."

I saw him go hard again. The evil Mr. Burns in my head gave an evil laugh. I walked forward and used my squirt of soap still resting in my palm to wash and clean his shaft and balls.

I pumped his dick and got as close as I could. "Wouldn't it have been nice to have great shower sex? But now, we just can't, because there's no bench."

He walked forward and pushed me up against the shower wall and whispered in my ear, "Then, maybe you should teach me how to pleasure you with this?"

I was amazed at his forwardness, as his fingers danced a little on my vag lips. I wrapped my hand around his neck to pull him closer, while my other hand continued to jack him off.

"Run a finger up and down my slit," I instructed, and he followed expertly. "Stop, right there. Push. That's the moneymaker. That's my clit, and if you make her happy, you'll be a very happy man in return."

He continued to make the path up and back.

"Okay, now, use your finger to find my vag. Start with one and then add as you go, but don't go all crazy and try to stick your whole hand up in there. I'm not into fisting!"

He started with one and then moved on rather quickly to two. I was far too hot and bothered to not go for one more ride. Finger fucking never led to great orgasms for me, so I stopped what I was doing and pulled him out of the shower. I had no idea how to turn it off, but I didn't care. However, the second we stepped out of the spray, it shut off automatically.

I took Edward's hand and pulled him back to his room, both of us dripping wet as we walked.

"Okay, now, it's your turn to fuck me!"

I fell into his creampuff bed, and he surprised me by not hesitating. He was on top of me in seconds. He pushed my legs open and climbed up and filled me. I let out the most embarrassing groan, while he continued to pump in and out of me. I spread my legs wider and pulled them up, so he could go deeper. It didn't take me long from this position to get a gold star for a job well done. My legs flopped to the side, and I felt content, while Edward continued to work for another minute.

Once he was done, he fell to the bed beside me. I was so tired after this round, I didn't have any questions to keep me occupied. I somehow didn't have a care in the world. My eyes closed, but I told myself it was only for a few minutes.

The sun shining brightly through the ceiling of Edward's space house woke up slowly. Then, I felt myself begin to panic, as I realized I had slept over. Now, I would have no choice but to do the infamous walk of shame. More importantly, I wondered what Edward would think.

It was obvious he must have been awake before me, because I was swimming around in the creampuff duvet alone, and I wondered why he hadn't woken me. I was still completely naked, as I sat up, holding the covers to my body, and I was a little relieved to not find Edward there. I saw my panties, bra and clothes folded nicely on the couch.

I was able to make it to my clothes with my knees locked and grabbed the stack, hurrying off into the bathroom. I said a prayer, praying that Edward had a normal toilet, because I could feel my bladder about to burst all over his marble bathroom floor. Of course, even the toilet had fancy buttons. I pulled open the lid, and it was a hole for me to pee in, so I couldn't complain. Lord only knew why a toilet would need to be state of the art.

I stared at the toilet after I was done, waiting for it to wash my pee away, but it didn't. I was not about to start pressing buttons, hoping to find the Da Vinci code to crack this sucker, so I left my pee there and found a washcloth to clean up with as best as I could, before I began to get dressed.

When I came back out into Edward's bedroom, he was there on the couch with a tray of goodies. "I thought you might like something to eat, since we never did have dinner last night."

I walked over and grabbed a scone then sat on the armchair.

"Sorry…about last night. I didn't mean to pass out and stay. I guess I've been really tired lately. Rosalie's floor isn't that comfortable."

"I don't mind…wait, you've been sleeping on the floor?"

"Well…not for long. Now that she's got her raise, and once I get my first paycheck, we're going apartment hunting. I'll buy a new bed then."

He looked concerned, but he didn't comment.

"I guess I should get going. I'm sure I have some 'splannin' to do with Rosalie," I said and pulled out my phone, opening my Uber app.

"What are you doing?" Edward asked.

"Getting an Uber."

"Why? My driver is still here."

I jumped up from the couch and walked over to his window, disbelieving his words.

"You made the guy wait here all night?"

Edward shrugged. "Well…technically, you made the guy wait here all night."

I scowled and walked back over toward the couch. "I can't use him now. He'll know what we did, and I'm sure he isn't going to be happy with me."

I looked at my phone and reopened the Uber app. Edward's hand came out and pulled my phone away. "It's fine. I pay him very well to put up with my requests. I'm sure he's thanking you silently. He just earned triple time."

I sighed and grabbed two more pastries from the tray. "Fine, let's go. You have to show me how to get out of this space house."

Edward showed me to the door, but thankfully, he left off the cheesy lines. I didn't need to hear a thank you. Instead, he told me he would see me at work the next day.

I got home in record time, and I tried not to dwell on the driver's face, as he opened my door for me. I asked him to leave me off two blocks away from the apartment, just in case, though Rosalie wasn't even there when I got back. I used her spare key and flopped down on the floor with a yawn. My muscles were a little sore from mine and Edward's activities, but not too bad, considering I never worked out.

I felt myself beginning to drift off to sleep, when a series of knocks rained down on the door. I checked the blinds to see someone standing at the door in a suit.

"Hello," I greeted, opening the door a crack.

"Hi! Isabella Swan? Congratulations! You won!" the squeaky-clean guy announced. He had a clipboard with him.

"Won? Won what?" I snapped, wondering if this was a prank.

"Every year, we place the names of our customers into a giant lottery, and one person from Chase Bank wins a brand new car! A Mercedes AMG! I have your keys right here, and it's parked right down there, if you want to take it for a spin," he explained, sounding like a game show host, as he handed me the keys.

I was so utterly confused. I looked around the intruder and saw a cherry red sleek car sitting in the parking lot below. It looked horribly ostentatious, especially in this neck of the woods. If left there, it wouldn't last a week, before it would be boosted and sold for parts.

Wait, something wasn't right about this…

I snatched the clipboard away from the guy and saw the top of the invoice to confirm my suspicions.

"You can tell Edward Cullen I don't want it! Take it back!" I demanded.

"You already accepted keys. I can't take it back," the guy held up his hands. "Sorry…uh…have a nice day!" he replied and made a run for it.

I was sure he had thought I was a nutjob for wanting to turn down the pretty, pretty car. I looked at the keys in my hand and then reached back inside for my purse. I walked out the door, slamming it behind me. I locked up the apartment, pulling my phone out of my purse and tapping in Edward's address into my phone's map for directions, as I stomped down the stairs.

I was sailing down the freeway, and I hated to admit it, but damn, this car drove nice. I hadn't driven anything, since my truck had taken a crap on the side of the highway. I almost hated giving this one back. Almost.

The tall iron gates greeted me as I drove up. They didn't open automatically, so I lay on the horn, hoping it would draw enough attention. I didn't even know if Edward was home. I was tempted to just leave the car outside the gates and get an Uber. Before I could put the car in park, the gates began to open, so I decided to drive on.

Edward was waiting for me on the porch, as I pulled up in front of the house. I barely took the time to shut the car off, before I was out of my seat.

"What the hell is this?" I spat, gesturing wildly at the car.

He did his best aloof impression.

"Cut the crap, Edward. I saw the invoice. It had your name at the top. I didn't win it!" I flung the keys at him, and they hit him squarely in the chest. "I'm not a whore. I'm not going to take a fancy car, just because I fucked you. I won't tell anyone, so no need to give it to me to shut me up, either!"

His feet traveled down the steps quickly. "I don't think you're a whore. I wasn't trying to buy you off. I gave you the car, because I knew you needed one, and I just…wanted to say thank you," he defended.

"Then, you say, 'Thank you, Bella,' and you let it go at that! You don't go out and buy me a hundred-thousand-dollar car! You just made me feel cheap, Edward."

He scratched his head, looking over the car. "Will you please just take the car?" he asked.

I stared at him incredulously and then flipped around and began to march down the drive, back toward to the main road.

"Bella!" he chased after me, and he didn't stop, until he was blocking my path. "Okay, fine! Don't take the damn car. But at least let me drive you home."

I relented and headed back toward the shiny car. He let me into the passenger side, before he ran around and slid behind the wheel. I felt envious, but of course, I was not going to say anything.

"I can't believe you'd really think I'd be so stupid as to just believe I'd won a car! I mean it, Edward. How thick do you think I am?" I berated.

He sighed loudly but didn't respond. I spent the next thirty minutes talking his ear off in hopes of punishing him with my squawking, so he would never dare pull this crap again. We were in Othello, when I stopped with the reprimands.

"Be sure to drop me off two blocks from the apartment. I don't need this sore thumb rolling up for Rosalie to see."

"Will you please let me drive you to the door? This neighborhood isn't safe."

I looked over at him with an evil eye. "You really don't think I can't handle myself?" I shook my head and groaned loudly. "Just do as I say, or else, I'll tuck and roll out of this damn car."

He pulled over to the side, and I stepped out onto the sidewalk. I looked back at him and told him I would see him at work in the morning, before closing the door. I waited for him to leave, before beginning my trek back to the apartment. Now, I was super tired.

I made it a whole block, before another fancy car drove up alongside me. A finely dressed man jumped out to block my path. Just like something out of a movie, the window rolled down on the limousine, and this butt ugly old man poked his head out. "Isabella Swan?"

I sighed and huffed loudly, irritated by all this crap. Couldn't I just go home already?

"What?" I snapped.

"Would you please get in?"

"Ah, geez, I would, but I already fulfilled my creeper quota for the year. Please, try back next year."

The man who had jumped out of the car held out an arm, blocking me from walking further. I guessed he seemed intent that I should oblige ugly creeper dude. The door opened, and I huffed, sliding into the car.

The only thing that kept running through my mind was how much Edward was right. He knew this area wasn't safe, and now, it looked like I was about to find out if I could do as I had said and handle myself.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

 **Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing!**

 **STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Inside the limousine were three more men. I made note of each of their faces. There was the boss, who was in serious need of some skin cream, a younger hunky dude with short black spiky hair, dressed well in a navy suit, and then the man to my left, who looked like something a prison had spat out.

"Isabella Swan, this is your lucky day. I'm about to make you a very rich girl," the old man said.

"Funny, you don't look like Ed McMahon."

"She's playful," the guy replied, looking over to one of his cronies. "Here's the deal, doll. You work for Edward Cullen. Edward Cullen has something I want. You run a few tiny, easy errands for me, and I'll give you a million dollars. How does that sound?"

I shook my head slowly. "Hmm, I have a counteroffer. How about you go fuck yourself. I don't want your fucking dirty money!"

The guy to the left of me did not take kindly to my offer. He slammed my head back into the seat, placing his hairy monkey hand around my neck. He pulled out a gun, and I began laughing.

I think that confused them.

"Go ahead. Let's see if you've got anything in that ball sack of yours other than hot air! You think I'm scared to die? Just do it already!"

I heard the click of the gun.

"Rosalie Hale," one of them said.

"What was that, Jacob?"

"She's her roommate. Pretty thing, too. I find people are often motivated to cooperate, if they think their family or friends are going to take the blame for their actions. Besides, we don't have time for Edward Cullen to hire a new person and hope we're able to convince that girl to do what's right."

I closed my eyes and sighed. "What do you want me to do?" I asked softly.

"I guess you're right, Jacob. Look how quickly the kitty comes around purring." The old man looked back over to me, and the baboon on my left let me go. "We need you to place this drive on Edward Cullen's office computer. It'll do all the work. Just wait five minutes for the light to turn green and then pull it out. Then, you'll come back here and slide it into that mailbox over there on the corner. That doesn't sound too hard, right?"

I snatched the stupid drive from his hand. "Can I go now?" I spat.

The old man opened the door. "Just remember, if you don't do this, or if you alert Edward in any way, Seattle will rain down bits and pieces of your pretty little roommate."

I stumbled out of the car and onto the sidewalk. I looked back at the car one last time, before it took off down the street. I placed the drive into my pocket and walked on towards the apartment.

I felt like shit. I had to betray Edward in order to save Rosalie. I didn't care what Edward had on his computer. Nothing was worth risking Rosalie's life over. That didn't mean I wasn't feeling like shit for what I now had to do to Edward. All in all, he was a good guy and didn't deserve getting screwed over.

I was just about to reach the apartment, when it hit me. Friday afternoon. I wondered if this was what Jessica had been doing inside Edward's office. It would make sense. Knowing her, she would have taken the money gladly. If she hadn't been able to succeed, how was I going to manage? Edward must have had cameras in his office that had alerted him to what Jessica had been doing. I munched on the skin of my fingers, as I tried to figure out this predicament.

I hated this! I hated this so hard.

I opened the door and saw Rosalie's shining face, and I knew what I had to do. She was a dear friend and a good person. It would kill me if something ever happened to her because of me.

Nightmares of shiny red AMG's and creepy men driving them plagued me all night. I woke up missing Edward's creampuff bed. Times had been simpler, when it had just been about inappropriate workplace relationships. I would gladly go back to a time when Jessica was my biggest threat to happiness.

I had told Rosalie the night before that I had an early morning meeting, so I would be getting up super early and taking off on my own the next day. I didn't know what time Edward would get into work, but I hoped it wouldn't be too much before eight. I planned on getting to his office by seven.

I took the special elevator and felt my nerves climbing with the elevator panel, as the numbers rolled by quickly, indicating I would be arriving at my destination too soon for my liking. The doors opened, and I breathed a sigh of relief that Edward was not there. I moved out of his office and ran over to my computer to unplug it. My fingers grasped the small drive in my left side pocket, and I took a slow breath, before going back to Edward's office.

I couldn't help but subtly glance around to try and find the cameras that must have been hidden in here, but Edward would be too smart to leave them obvious. I went and sat in his chair and pulled the drive out slowly. I reached out towards his computer and attempted to figure out how to turn the thing on. It was already on, I could tell that much, but as my hand passed the startup button, I quickly placed the drive into one of the USB slots and waited, as I saw the small light turn red. I looked over his computer keyboard and pretended to be trying to get on. My alibi was that my computer was down, and I was only trying to get some very important contract up and printed.

The lousy alibi was only if Edward should appear or question me about my unauthorized presence. I was hoping I could get out of here quickly, and if Edward was watching me right now, I prayed he would have the decency to hold off on the guard squad until after that damn light turned green.

I tapped nervously on the top of Edward's desk, never taking my eyes off the drive's light. I saw it turn green, and I jumped out of Edward's chair so quickly, I nearly send it flying. I grabbed the drive and slid it back into my pocket.

I was almost out of his office, when the private elevator doors opened once more. Edward walked off, and his mouth was open only slightly.

"Bella," he said my name solemn and softly.

My heart was racing. All those James Bond and Mission Impossible movies made this shit look too easy. I was not made to be an action movie hero. Right now, I wasn't sure if I was the hero or the villain, as I looked into his eyes.

"Uh...hey…"

Lame. I knew this, but what else could I be expected to say?

"Are you still mad at me for yesterday?"

I gave him a questioning look. I was so focused on the drive my fingers were massaging in my pocket, that I couldn't focus on whatever might have happened in the past. "Yesterday?"

"The car?"

Oh, fuck!

I shook my head. "No, we're cool."

 _I'd take ten cars right now, if you'd forgive me for what I've done._

"My computer was down...I was just trying to check something, before the new assistant came in today. I guess I should get out there and show him or her the ropes."

The lies just fell off my tongue. I hated that I could lie so easily. Well, they came out easily, but it didn't make them easy for me to live with.

He nodded, but his face looked broken. Did he know what I had done? I was Brutus, and he was Caesar.

I felt a weight lifted the minute I was out of his office. I went back to my computer and plugged it back in. I sat down and tried not to think about how horrible I was. The elevator door opened, and it saved my sanity from further dwelling.

Nancy was there to introduce the new assistant. The girl looked a little older than me, but not by much. She wasn't decked head to toe in designer, so I already felt loads better about her.

"Isabella, this is Angela Webber, she's been with the company for over four years. Angela has come off maternity leave early to help out."

I stood up and offered my hand. It seemed as if my prayers had been answered. She seemed normal. Angela gave me a polite, shy smile, as Nancy went to leave.

"Let me show you to your desk." I walked out from around my divider and led her over to Jessica's old desk. "You'll have to forgive me, but I don't really know too much about office stuff. I just started last week, and I haven't learned a whole lot yet. Hopefully, you can show me some tricks, when you get a chance and want to be merciful."

We got to her desk, and I began giving her the speech Jessica had given me, when I had first arrived here…however, I put my own Bella spin on things.

"So, I'm sure you know, eight to five, Monday through Friday, unless Mr. Cullen requests otherwise. You can take your lunch whenever you'd like, but try and coordinate with me, so at least one of us is here to answer the phones and get the boss a coffee. I honestly don't care if you take longer than half an hour, just let me know, so I can be around. Also, if Mrs. Cullen calls, Mr. Cullen's mother, we just take a message. We're still working on that with Mr. Cullen. It might take a while. Some obvious family drama going on there. Anyway, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, but just be ready that I might be as lost as you are. Okay?"

She looked a little confused, but I was sure I was the first assistant to ever work this high of a floor that didn't know what they were doing. It felt weird to call Edward Mr. Cullen, but I knew I must. I had to remain professional, no matter what might or might not have happened this past weekend.

I left Angela to get settled and went back to my desk. I ran through my emails. It seemed all of Jessica's work emails had graced my computer the minute she had been fired. I began to miss Jessica, because I didn't know the first thing to do with all this work. If I hadn't been screwing over Edward at that moment, I would go into his office and say something. I didn't. In fact, I didn't bother Edward, and he did not come out to see me or say something. I wondered what I should do for lunch, but I decided to wait to go, until he let me know what he wanted. But he never came out or called me. I took my hunger pangs as punishment for what I had done, like it somehow balanced things.

After Angela returned from her lunch, I decided I needed to test the waters and see if I could perceive anything from Edward.

"Hey, Angela. Let me introduce you to the boss."

She seemed to get nervous, but she stood and straightened herself up, before she joined me over in front of the closed tall double doors.

"Don't worry about making a good first impression. He certainly won't."

I pushed open the door with a slight knock. "Hey, I thought you should meet your new first in command," I announced, entering the room. He was at his desk, of course, tapping away at his computer. He looked up, but he didn't seem upset by the interruption. "Mr. Cullen, meet Angela Webber."

Angela stepped up and shook his hand. He didn't even stand up, so at least I had been spot on with telling Angela that he wouldn't make a good first impression. She stepped back, and he didn't even say one word.

"O-kay, and now that this awkward introduction is over, we'll be heading back out to our desks."

Angela and I shared a look, before turning around and walking towards the door.

"Miss Swan, a moment please?"

 _So close! Damn, Bella! Don't you know to never return to the scene of the crime?_

I sighed and shut the door behind Angela, before turning back around, my backside hugging the door. "Yes...Mr. Cullen?"

"Bella...what's going on? Is this about Saturday night? You're acting funny. Do you feel awkward about what we did?"

I had to say, I admired him for calling me out on my shit. Most guys wouldn't care how the girl was acting afterward. They would be happy to have gotten theirs, and who the hell cared about the girl the next day?

But, what should I say? Because I didn't have any issues with Saturday. In fact, if it hadn't been for those limo assholes, I would have probably been spread over his desk right now, hoping to go again. I found my sweet spot tingling at the thought, but I quickly shut that shit down.

 _Down, girl! After what we've done, we should head to a nunnery and spend the rest of our days…sexless!_

"Everything's fine, Edward. I don't regret it. I'm not going all girl on you over it. I just…"

What to do? What to say?

"You know, you can always talk to me. Whatever happens...I'm here and...no matter what, you can tell me."

God! He knew! He had to know. He was like Dumbledore, giving me that eye, while I stood here, lying to his face. I needed to change direction, pronto!

"You were right. I was PMS-ing. I got my period yesterday. I think you might've knocked it loose, and now, I'm just experiencing a heavy flow day, and all I want to do is go home and park myself in a bowl of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie while watching Homeward Bound. The director's cut."

Was that enough gory detail? Maybe I should have added a flowery, colorful descriptive word to help drive the point home. Most men freaked out, when you shared even the smallest detail of the female reproductive system. Surprisingly enough, though, he didn't look horrified. I guessed no longer being a virgin changed a man.

"Do...you need to take the day off?"

I bit my lip a little. "I should probably stay and make sure Angela is okay. She probably thinks you hate her. Couldn't you have at least given her a small smile, or hell, a hint of acknowledgment? With as quickly as you're going through assistants, I'm sure she must be stressed. The poor woman was pulled off maternity leave early to be here."

I saw him relax slightly, while he sighed and looked over towards his computer. "My apologies. I'll be sure to say something before I leave. But, please...if you're feeling unwell, you should go home."

I didn't need to go, but the sooner this damn drive was out of my life, the sooner I could relax and get back to being myself. Oh, and find a way to make it up to Edward. I was thinking I might have to break the second rule in order to achieve this. Hmmm...maybe I _was_ a whore. _Using sex to make up for fucking a person over does not make you a whore. A Kardashian maybe, but not a whore._

"You know what? If you don't mind, I think I'll take you up on that offer. My back is killing me, so I gotta go find that Midol you offered the other day. I'll...see you in the morning?"

He nodded, and I quickly turned to head out. I made Angela aware of my early departure. It was only three-thirty, so I fired a text off to Rosalie to inform her that I was going home early. I was down and out of the building in fifteen minutes. I waited at the bus stop, while idly playing with the drive in my pocket.

As the bus drove me all over town until I reached Othello, it gave me a chance to ponder what could possibly be on this drive that would be worth a million dollars. A million dollars was chump change to someone like Edward Cullen. But they were willing to pay me a million dollars, which meant the information was worth well more than a million dollars.

Whatever it was, it couldn't be good, especially if those assholes wanted it. However, I couldn't imagine Edward would ever be in possession of something that could be dangerous, so I told myself that, whatever it was, it was still worth me stealing it, if it meant saving Rosalie's life.

I found the mailbox in question and dropped the drive down in it. There! Out of my life forever!

As I headed back towards the apartment, I felt myself being watched. I looked around, but no one was in sight, just a couple of cars on the street that I quickly scanned, but it was like a ghost town suddenly. Maybe I was just feeling paranoid, because I had just committed a crime. A crime against the man I had slept with a couple of nights ago.

I continued walking and then stopped, spinning around quickly, but again, there was no one there. Yes, I was far too paranoid. I sighed and decided to forget about the feeling and get back to the apartment. The minute my feet hit the stairs, I felt my phone vibrate. I wondered if it was Edward, checking to make sure I had gotten home alright, but it was from a number that wasn't in my contacts.

 _Nice job, kitty. That wasn't so hard. We'll be in contact soon._

I felt my face go red with anger. I felt as if I was being suffocated. I couldn't do it again. I couldn't keep betraying Edward. What was I going to do?

I flopped down on the floor. I had never felt so helpless before, and that was saying something. But instead of wallowing in pity, I decided now was the time for a plan. There was a solution. It was so easy. Why hadn't I seen it before?

An easy breezy plan.

Get Edward Cullen to fire me.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for showing this story some love!**

 **Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing!**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

All my clothes were too fancy. I had the pullover sweatshirt and jeans combo I had been wearing when I had first arrived in Seattle, but it wasn't enough. I needed a clearly drawn line to cross over, so there would be no mistaking my intentions.

I raided Rosalie's closet, while she was in the shower getting ready for work. I was about to give in to my sweatshirt combo, when I finally spotted it. Deep down in the far reaches of her closet was a balled-up pair of white overalls with paint stains. Pulling on the overalls, I still needed a shirt of some kind. I didn't want to be removed from the building for public indecency charges, before I'd had a chance to make it up to seventy-seven.

I found a black tube top in the closet and pulled it on sans bra to go with the overalls.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Rosalie asked, still wrapped in her towel.

"Cute, right?"

"Are you trying to get fired?"

"That's the plan," I mumbled under my breath, while looking myself over in the mirror. I turned around to look at her. "I was just looking for something to wear this weekend. I told my friend I'd come over and help paint his apartment."

I hated lying to Rosalie, but it was necessary. If I told her I was trying to get fired, she would want to know why. Then, I would have to tell her about the threat on her life, and that kind of thing could ruin a girl's morning.

"Well, you'd better get ready fast. We have to leave soon."

"I already called in that I was coming in late today. You go ahead."

I went over and flopped down on Rosalie's bed, while she walked off to find something to wear for the day.

"You seem to be spending a lot of time with this friend of yours. Does this have long-term potential?" she asked.

I laughed. "Um…no!" I said, sounding offended. I didn't know why I was acting like this. I thought of Edward when she said "friend." The long-term potential with my boss, whose sole task he would have to accomplish today was firing the girl who had devirginized him, was looking bleak. I looked at myself in the mirror, dressed in the ridiculous outfit. I was really going to have to up my game today.

Rosalie left, and I stayed around, trying to come up with ways to horrify Mr. Cullen. I couldn't just put on a trashy outfit and arrive late to work. As I'd said before, it would take a miracle to get this man to fire me. He seemed to have a soft spot for me, and it had only been made worse by me having plucked his cherry.

I pulled on a long trench coat, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to myself, and began the trek to the office. My phone rang several times, and I saw from the caller ID that it was work. I was only an hour late, so what was with the what! I saw Edward's name appear on my phone, but I hit ignore and continued to focus on my surroundings. I felt eyes on me once again, but when I looked around on the bus, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Still, I felt bothered, so I attempted to remain vigilant.

I popped off the bus and took a deep breath, before I headed into the fire. Once I was in the elevator, I pulled off the trench coat and balled it up. The elevator bell dinged, alerting me of my arrival.

 _Okay, Bella. It's showtime!_

"Good morning, Angela!" I sang, as I walked in and tossed my coat onto my chair.

Angela's mouth dropped wide open, and her eyes nearly bugged out of her skull. Okay, that was the reaction I was going for.

"Bella…I…I…I've been calling. Mr. Cullen was worried. You're…a little late."

"Am I?" I looked around. "Hmm…weird. Oh well! Anyway, what's the hap?"

I pulled out a piece of Bubblicious from my purse and placed the large wad of gum into my mouth and began snapping away at it.

"The hap? Um…well, I imagine Mr. Cullen would like to see you. He seems stressed."

I waved her off and went around to my desk to fire up my computer. I placed my feet up on the desk and sat back, waiting for the phone to ring or for Mr. Cullen to come out and see me in all my glory.

I didn't have to wait long.

"Bella, where have…." He stopped and assessed. "Is something wrong?" he asked, still looking me over from head to toe.

"Wrong?" I stood up from my desk, still smacking my gum, so he could get the full effect.

"Can I see you in my office?" he asked quietly, placing his hands on my short cube wall and leaning over slightly.

I felt bad for him. He probably thought it was something he had done, when, in fact, it was something I had done. This germaphobe had broken protocol by touching my wall. That was how upset he must have been.

The phone rang, waking me up from my moral dilemma. I pulled the wad of gum out of my mouth and picked up the phone, holding out my finger for him to hold off a minute. In my best sex phone operator voice, I answered, "Edward Cullen, Sex God Extraordinaire's office. This is Bella speaking, how may I make your day orgasmic?"

I saw Edward turn red, but before he had a chance to remark on my colorful new greeting, I plopped the wad of gum onto his hand that was holding onto my cube wall. He instantly recoiled, and his hands were shaking at the invasion of germs crawling around on my gum and now onto his hand.

 _"Hi…uh…this is Esme. Edward's mother…"_

I nearly wet my overalls, but this could be the final nail in my career coffin. After all, improvisation was the key to a successful final act.

"Mrs. Cullen! Hi! How are you?"

I saw Edward's eyes go wide. I was sure he was smart enough to have caught on to my little performance and knew how badly this might turn.

"Edward? Yes! Edward is right here, and he's eagerly been awaiting your call, Mrs. Cullen. I'll transfer you now. But, before I go, I thought I should tell you that I went ahead and RSVP'd to his high school reunion. He can't wait to see you all!"

Edward reached to grab the phone out of my hands, but I danced out of the way in time to press hold and hang the phone up.

"ISABELLA! MY OFFICE! NOW!" he barked.

I could not allow myself to be turned on. His pain was not for my pleasure. Still…I couldn't help myself. He was always so unassured of himself, but that glimpse of bravado had sent my nether-regions singing. _The hills are alive with the sound of Edward!_

The wadded-up ball of gum was still on his hand, as he stormed off to his office. I danced along behind him and noticed Angela had shrunk down as far as her chair would go behind her desk.

I walked in and saw him depositing my gum into the trash, before he pumped a large dose of sanitizer into his hands. I closed the door quietly behind me and hugged it with my backside.

"Yes, Mr. Cullen? You wished to speak to me?"

He stood behind his desk, his hands on his hips, looking me over. His jaw was tense, and I could see he was making a great effort to remain calm, but he was losing the battle.

"What's going on with you? What's all this about?" he asked, waving his hand at my current fashion choices.

I shrugged, not giving him any more of an answer.

"Is this because we had sex? Are you…no longer comfortable around me?"

I really did not want to answer that. Something like this could ruin his fragile virgin heart. I merely wanted to be fired. Not make the man celibate for the rest of his life.

"You probably want to answer that. I'm sure your mother doesn't want to be on hold long."

He sighed and then looked down at the phone to see the blinking green light. It took him a very long minute, before he begrudgingly picked up the phone. I wondered if he was going to tell his mother I had lied, to get out of the predicament I had put him in.

"Hello."

He paused and cringed the minute Mrs. Cullen began.

"Mom…uh…she's new and quite undermedicated. My apologies. I'm taking care of the problem as we speak," he said, looking up to meet my eyes, before he looked away and began to argue with her.

"No…Mom, I can't…look, I…please…no, don't tell Alice. Mom!"

She must have hung up, because he held the phone away from his ear and slowly dropped it down to the receiver. He, too, fell back into his chair and looked down at his desk. He was five years old and looking like I had just kicked his new puppy.

"You want me to fire you? Fine. Do whatever you want. Just…leave me and my family alone."

His voice was hollow. I had taken this one step too far. I wanted him to fire me, but I didn't want to hurt him. I saw how my actions were so the wrong way to go about getting what I'd wanted.

Ah geez! This would have been so much easier if I hadn't felt my heart constricting. I sighed and walked towards his desk.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't…" I trailed off, knowing an apology from me wouldn't be enough. I stepped closer and sat down slowly in the chair across from him. "You gotta give me something. Why don't you want to go home? The high school reunion? That can't be the only reason. I mean…I get that people were assholes in high school, but they can't be the only reason you don't want to see your family."

He didn't respond.

"So, don't go to the reunion. I mean…if it makes you that stressed, but really, you deserve to go to that reunion. Every guy in there will wish he was you. Wish they'd been nicer to you, because they could've been friends with the billionaire. Every girl will wish she'd given you the time of day, because they could've been Mrs. Billionaire. It's time you showed those assholes what an amazing person you are, despite their bullshit!"

Still nothing from his end of the desk.

"And your parents? I don't know what happened with them, but your mom has been the nicest person on the phone to me. I've only been here a few days, but most of the people who call to speak with you are assholes. They're probably rich and entitled, so they feel they can treat a receptionist or assistant like crap, but your mom has always been kind, even though she knows you're going to blow her off."

He was still looking at his hands, maybe wondering if he should be checked for rabies from my gum incident.

"I could go with you? Throw in some pity sex if that helps?"

He perked up. "You'd do that?" he asked, finally looking up at me.

"Pity sex?" I shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Yes, I would take one for the team. I could practically feel sainthood come upon me for enduring another round with the boss.

"No…I mean…you'd go with me? Go to meet my family and accompany me to the reunion?"

I owed him that much.

"If it'll pull you out of this funk? Sure."

"My family can be a little…overwhelming."

"I'm great with family. Just call me Mary J. Blige," I said with a wave of my hand.

"I don't know what that means."

I sighed and stared at him for a long second. "We'll get you an iPod. Anyway, will me going to the rents make you feel better or not?"

I saw him blossom before my very eyes.

So, where did we stand on the pity sex? That was still happening, right? I mean, I wasn't doing this all pro bono, was I?

He seemed to instantly relax. He sat back in his chair and looked me over from head to toe once more. I'd nearly forgotten what I was wearing.

"So…you want to explain?"

I looked down and racked my brain for a decent excuse. I'd already used the period one on him yesterday. A girl could only get away with that one so much, before people began to question it.

"I…I have no explanation. Just…know that it's me and not you."

"The old, 'it's me and not you,' line," he replied.

I sighed and looked down. "Edward...please…I wish I could give you a proper explanation, but I just can't. I'm sorry. But you have every right to fire me…which, I doubt you'll do, but I wanted to put that on the table."

"No, I must've done something pretty awful for you to go to these extremes. I think it'd be a much better punishment for you to stay on here, until you're ready to tell me what's truly going on."

I looked away. I couldn't give him that. He would be more upset than if I had really kicked his imaginary puppy.

"Bella, you can tell me anything."

He just wouldn't let up.

"I'm just not ready," I replied, shaking my head slightly.

"Okay, you know where to find me, when you do decide to talk to me. Until then, you should probably get back to work." I nodded and went to stand up. "Oh, and can you do me a favor and try to not leave the floor today? I really don't want my other employees to begin questioning the dress code."

I cringed. "Do you have a shirt I can borrow? I won't leave the floor, but it might help make Angela feel more at ease. Plus, it's freezing in here!"

He got up and walked over toward the door nearest to his desk and pulled out a crisp clean white shirt. He handed it to me, and I dropped the overalls and pulled the tube top down below my waist and around my hips to make a cute but probably still indecent skirt. I pulled on his shirt and buttoned it part way, before tying the lower part just above my now makeshift skirt.

I realized my little deck change had probably made him a tad uncomfortable, so I looked up slowly and apologized.

"Sorry, I probably should've taken the show into the bathroom."

"It's fine," he replied, shaking his head slightly. "However, something just occurred to me."

He walked back around towards his desk and picked up his cell phone. He was looking it over, as I died of anticipation. He picked up his office phone and began to dial.

I crept towards his desk, wondering who he was calling.

"Hello, yes, this is Edward Cullen. In a moment, my assistant will call. She needs a change of clothes. Please, attend to this matter quickly."

Then, he hung up the phone.

"Uh...you gotta work on your social skills, dude. Most people say please and thank you…hello and goodbye."

"I said hello," he defended.

I paused and then shook my head. "We'll work more on this later."

He wrote down a name and number on his notepad and tore off the sheet, handing it to me.

"Her name is Jessica, and no, she isn't that Jessica, so please, don't treat her as such. She works at Bloomingdales. Just order something…professional…and have them put it on my account."

"I can't. This," I said, waving at my outfit, "isn't your fault. You shouldn't have to pay for it."

"Why don't I believe you?" he asked. "Look, consider this your punishment. Take the damn clothes, and don't bother me with it anymore."

"Punishment? Ooh, we might have to upgrade that pity sex."

He stepped forward and looked me directly in the eyes. "Bella, there'll be no more sex, until you make good on your deal. Understand?"

And just like that, the virgin made me feel like the sex addict.

I scowled and turned to leave the room. He had all the power, and I hated it. No sex until his high school reunion? Once out of his office, I ran back over to my computer and looked up when the damn event was to be held. Mrs. Cullen had sent me an email regarding it a couple of days ago. I looked at the date, and it was set for the Saturday after next. My lady bits felt a government shutdown underway.

I called Bloomingdales and spoke to this Jessica and got squared away with a change of clothes. They were sent over to me before my lunch break. Talk about quick and speedy service! Once I was redressed, I mustered up the courage to go and speak with Angela.

"Sorry about this morning. Mr. Cullen sent me a prank email, stating that today was come as your favorite Spice Girl day, and as for the skit we put on earlier, uh…just know it's a rehearsal for the upcoming company talent show."

She wrinkled her forehead, letting me know she wasn't buying any of it, but since this was Angela and not Jessica, she didn't get pissy.

"Look, I don't know what's going on with you and Mr. Cullen, and I really don't care. But he seems nicer when you're around. I just really need this job. I didn't want to come off maternity leave so soon, but when they said which office I'd be working in, I couldn't pass up that money," she explained.

"How old is your baby?" I asked.

"Two months. His name is Benjamin…well, Ben is what I call him. I named him after his father…" she began laughing, which turned into a mild sob. "Sorry, I just…you usually name a baby after the father, when the father is a decent human being. He left…he…couldn't handle taking care of a baby. I'm sorry, this is probably a lot more information than you needed."

I sat down on her desk, my brand new slacks paving the way on the wooden surface.

"I'm pretty sure you saw far more of me this morning. Don't worry. We're all about personal feelings on seventy-seven. So…who's watching Ben while you're working, since daddy dearest is out of the picture?"

Angela was the first female I had girl-talked with besides Rosalie, and I kind of liked it. Angela was so chill. She was definitely my kind of peeps.

"My mom, but she's elderly, so I don't know if it'll last long. I just need to make it to my first paycheck, and then I can maybe afford to look for a babysitter. It really worries me to leave a two-month-old with my mom this long. I've been video chatting with her on my lunch break, just to make sure she's handling everything okay."

I looked around the floor. It was silent, beside Angela and I talking. The idea popped into my head, and perhaps I should have run it past Edward first, but I didn't.

"Why don't you bring him here?"

Angela looked at me like I had grown an extra boob.

"I mean…I'm not great with kids, but it's just the two of us up here. Plus, the file room is right next to your desk, so you could stow him away in there for naps and such."

She bit her lip, weighing her answer. "I don't think Mr. Cullen would want a baby here."

I waved her off. "You'd be surprised what Mr. Cullen thinks about babies. Just leave him to me. You're right, Mr. Cullen and I have a weird working relationship, so I'll handle it. It wasn't right to pull you off your maternity leave so soon. I'm sure the Cullen Conglom…Conglom…geez, for crap's sake, couldn't he have come up with a better name? That ass!"

She seemed uncomfortable with my offer. "I don't know, Bella."

I jumped down from her desk. "Well, just think about it. It's not like he'd know if you did bring baby Ben here. He pretty much holds up in his office all day, anyway."

And that was the last of that conversation. Of course, that was what I'd thought. However, the next morning when Angela arrived, she looked pregnant. She began pulling her coat off, and there popped out baby Ben, strapped to her chest like a cute little bomb. My mouth dropped open, and I skipped over to meet the baby.

Now, I was not one for babies…mostly. But that baby was too cute and so, so tiny. He brought a smile to my face and made me nervous, all at the same time. I looked around, feeling as if we were orchestrating a heist.

"I couldn't leave him with my mom again. She forgot to feed him, and then she complained he was screaming too much."

I pulled her along towards the file room. "Wait here! Let me see what Edward has in his office we can use for a floor blanket."

I ran off into Edward's office. It was the second time I had been in here without permission. Thankfully, this time, I wasn't committing corporate espionage. I ran around in a circle, and if he was secretly watching a video of me at that moment, at least I was providing some entertainment.

Of course, Edward wouldn't think to keep a blanket in his office, like a sane billionaire. I went over towards his closet door, and inside was three individual three-piece suits. I ran my hand over each one, until I found the softest one. If baby Ben were to get it dirty, I would just send it out to be cleaned. I pulled down the gray suit and ran back to Angela.

"Here, this was all I could find." I placed the suit on the floor and folded it, so it would create a soft cushion. "We can send out for something softer later."

Once baby Ben was all set up, Angela and I went back to work, as if nothing had changed. The baby was so quiet and good, it almost made me think I could handle one of those things. When Edward arrived at eight-thirty, I went into his office to tell him good morning. Mostly, I was checking to see if he was aware of anything going on outside of his door.

"Hey, boss! Getting in a little on the late side. Watch out, we might think you're starting to slack off."

He seemed in good spirits. At least, he didn't scowl when he saw me.

"Morning, Bella. I was at a meeting across town this morning. No slacking here," he replied.

I began to laugh a little. "You know, one of these days, I'm going to figure out your calendar. Anywhoo! I best be getting back to the salt mines."

I began to dance my way out of his office, but he cleared his throat loudly. "Why don't you just tell me what's going on? I know you well enough by now to know when you're keeping something from me."

I cringed, thankful he couldn't see my face. I changed my expression and turned back around.

"Keeping something? I just wanted to come in and say good morning. Geesh! But if this is the way you want to treat me for going through the social norms of greeting the boss in the morning, then I'll be sure to cancel it for tomorrow. No more good mornings for you!"

I was so flustered that, when I turned back around to leave, I nearly slammed my face into the hard wooden door. I straightened myself up and pulled the door open successfully. I was just about to my desk, when Edward came out the door to follow me. I looked over to Angela, who crept out of sight and went off to hide in the filing room.

"I won't stop pestering you until you tell me."

Now, he wanted to pester me. Thank god he hadn't taken on the task a couple of days ago, when I had been stealing top secret information from his computer.

I cleared my throat and turned back to him. "Okay…there _is_ something going on. Um…but you gotta promise you won't go thermonuclear. Just…let me explain. Keep a cool head and remember, you had the opportunity to fire me and didn't take it, so now, you have no choice but to live with the consequences of my actions."

He sighed and folded his arms over his chest, waiting for me to continue.

"So…I don't know if you knew this, but maybe you did and just didn't care, because I can see that about you. Anyway, if you did know, then maybe you should've thought about it more, since, after all, you want this kind of a future…"

"Bella, stop with the babbling. I know what you're trying to do. You think if you confuse me enough, you'll get away with whatever it is you're getting away with. Just tell me. I have a meeting in half an hour."

"You do? I should really figure out this Outlook," I replied, sitting back down in my chair and firing up the program.

"NOW, BELLA!"

Okay, he had officially lost his shit.

"God! Geez! Okay!" I waved my hands at him in an attempt to temper the flames. "So…Angela had to come off maternity leave prematurely, because Jessica left…well, you fired her for reasons still unbeknownst to me…"

He shifted on his feet, indicating his loss of patience.

"Um…her mom has a hard time with watching her baby, and since she needed to wait until her first paycheck, which is next Thursday, to afford a babysitter, we kind of had to get creative. But hey, you wanted a baby, so now, here's your chance to get your feet wet."

He stood there, staring blankly at me. "I think I may be even more confused than I was before."

I sighed and walked around my cube and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him towards Angela's desk.

"He really is a good employee baby. I'm telling you, he hasn't made a peep!"

There was Angela, squatting in the corner of the file room, with baby Ben fast asleep on Edward's suit coat. Edward's mouth opened in surprise, as he stared at the nativity scene before him.

"Bella, please, tell me that isn't my Versace slim fit wool suit."

I cringed. "Well, now I know why Jessica thought you were gay. I don't know. I'm not a designer whore like you are, apparently."

He grabbed ahold of my arm and pulled me along all the way back to his office, not even stopping to close the door. Once inside, he let me go.

"She can't keep a baby here. It isn't professional. And using my suit...I…what the…I…"

He made a noise that resembled something one would hear in the wild while on safari.

"You're mad at me. That's cool, but…come on! She didn't have a place to take the baby, and she couldn't afford the childcare. Have a heart!"

He continued to stew all around his desk. "This isn't about having a heart. I'm not the only CEO who'd find taking a baby to work extremely unprofessional! Why don't you get a brain!"

Okay, now I was pissed.

"I understand you're upset with my managerial decision, but in the event of your reaction being what it is, I spent the morning looking into this, and I'll have you know, workplaces that offer childcare, or assistance for childcare, benefit from higher employee retention. Which leads to loyal, harder-working employees, which, in turn, increases your profits. You have the ability to make so many people's lives better by offering small but valuable perks. And when you die, sure, you'll be remembered as the billionaire who did great things, but I'd much rather be remembered as a good person. It's the only time when good is far better than great."

I walked toward the exit on stage right.

"Don't worry. I'm taking an unpaid sick day to go and take care of baby Benjamin, and until Angela gets her first paycheck, or you pull that massive stick out of your ass, consider this my leave of absence notice, Sir!"

I slammed his office door shut and went off to find me a baby.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for taking the time to read and review.**

 **Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing!**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

Okay, I might have been a little surprised that Edward didn't come after me to instantly admit the error of his ways. I was majorly surprised, when I didn't hear from him the following day, either. My cell phone had been within reach the entire time I was at Angela's apartment watching over baby Ben, but nothing.

I'd guess I had played that card, because I had honestly thought Edward would give in to me. He seemed to make a lot of allowances for me, so I had gambled that he would do the right thing in the end. I was wrong. Day two, and I was covered in baby vomit, and even though Ben was a good baby and slept most of the time, the moment he would turn into the Exorcist baby, it would solidify my thoughts on never having children. One good thing I would say for baby Ben, he allowed me to catch up on my Netflix.

"Baby Ben Central, how may I direct your call?" I sang into the phone, when Angela's name popped up.

"How's he doing? How are you doing?"

I laughed. "Honestly, I could use a shower, but I managed to get through a whole season of Supernatural, so I'm going to put myself in the win column. How are you doing? How is…he doing?" I lowered my voice, as if he was there and able to hear my phone conversation.

"Mr. Cullen…he's…focused."

"Uh-oh," I replied. "He isn't taking this out on you, is he?"

"Oh, Bella, are you sure about this? I don't want to get you into any trouble, and no offense, but…I really don't want to get fired."

"Angela, I promise, you won't be fired, and I can promise that, somehow, I already know I'm not going to be fired. Just trust me. Senor Cullen will come around."

And he did finally come around. It took a few days, but in Edward Cullen fashion, he surprised the hell out of me on day three of my walk-out.

I was dancing around Angela's apartment, when a knock rattled the door. Thinking it was the pizza delivery man, I danced my way over and pulled the door open. There, in his three-piece Versace slim fit whatever the hell, was Edward Cullen.

"What do you want?" I snapped, bringing my dancing feet to a pause.

I knew what he wanted, but I was going to make him work for it.

"Can I come in?"

"I don't know. This is Angela's apartment, and she may not want you seeing her…underthings or some other."

He sighed but remained stiff. "Bella, please."

I rolled my eyes and opened the door wider. "What can I do for you, Mr. Cullen?"

He looked quite out of place in Angela's small kitchen. I could tell he was examining the place to rate its cleanliness, as if he was prepared to make a Yelp review after our interaction.

"I solved the problem. You may cease your little stunt and come back to work."

I folded my arms across my chest and looked at him defiantly. "I don't know. All this time off has given me a sense of clarity. Baby Ben has been a far better employer. In fact, I was thinking of putting in for Angela's nanny position, when she receives her first paycheck. Ben thinks I have a brain."

He sighed, and his stiff stature took a mild deflation. "Bella, I'm sorry for saying that. Of course, I think you have a brain. I was upset, and I clearly handled the situation incorrectly."

I tapped my foot, and while I decided what to say next, another knock came to the door. A more welcomed knock, since this one brought pizza.

I opened the door and handed the delivery boy a twenty, before taking my pizzas.

"See, he knew to bring a peace offering. What, exactly, did you bring?"

I dropped the pizzas on the table and walked over to grab a plate.

"Two pizzas for just you?" he questioned.

"I'm stress eating, if you must know. I currently work for a jackass who called me stupid the other day and then took two and a half days to come and make it right."

"I did not call you stupid…I just…" he sighed once again. "I put a daycare in at Cullen Conglomerate. That is why it took me so long to come here. I wanted to show you the plans. They plan on demoing tomorrow, and it should be up and running by the end of the week. Ben can come back and be with Angela until the center is open, provided he stays away from my three-thousand-dollar suits!"

I felt a small smile creep up on my face. "Want some pizza?"

He looked around and slowly sat down in an empty chair.

I pulled out another plate and handed it to him. He opened the top box, and then he pulled the second pizza on top and opened that box before sighing.

"What's with the sigh?"

"They both have pineapple. I can't fathom why anyone would put fruit on a pizza."

I laughed and took a slice. "Hey, you should eat all the pineapple you can get. It helps with better tasting spunk, FYI."

"What's the point? You already told me there would be no…blowjobs," he stammered, having trouble getting the word out, looking around to see if Baby Ben was within hearing distance.

"The baby is asleep, and just because I said I wouldn't suck your dick, doesn't mean your future wife won't appreciate the pineapple influx," I replied with a mouthful of pizza.

He got a soft little grin on his face.

"What?" I asked.

He shook his head slightly. "Nothing. I just wonder…if you eating pineapple helps make…your…areas tastier."

"My areas?" I questioned with a slight laugh. "Well…um…I wouldn't know. I've never had anyone give me a written report after a taste test before."

Edward pulled himself a little closer and replied softly, "I could write a report…if you're interested."

Holy hell! I think I just shat my pants. No…that was not shat. He could probably write his report just from my panty sample. I slowly swallowed my pizza and froze, as if any movement on my part would cause my floodgates to burst, the resulting mess running down and covering his shoes.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, when I heard the baby cry. I hopped up to get him, happy for the distraction to give my face some time to turn down the red a couple of shades.

I brought baby Ben back to the table. A welcome distraction? Or a cock-blocking baby? You decide.

"By the way, this is the sweet baby you evicted from your office the other day. Ben, meet Edward, and don't take it personally. He's like that with everyone at first."

I bounced Ben lightly up and down in my arms, while he cooed contentedly at me.

"You look so good with a baby. See…it's not so bad, right?" Edward asked, with this far-off dreamy look in his eyes.

I narrowed my eyes at him and snapped my fingers in his face to wake him up. "Hey…I'm not your viable vessel, Mister! You know how many times I've been thrown up on, not to mention peed on? I swear! If I do get one of these someday, it'll not come with an exterior operational hose!"

I pulled my pizza from off my plate and attempted to feed myself while holding baby Ben. I nearly dropped hot cheese down on my charge, before Edward stood up and took the baby out of my arms.

"Hey, I'm not responsible if he launches some mouth missiles all over your Versace," I said.

"We'll be fine."

I couldn't believe how much of a natural Edward was with a baby. He was so good with baby Ben it was scary, and also incredibly adorable. I guessed he really was ready to make his genetic deposit. Like some baby-making hormone had been unleashed inside my body while watching Edward, I felt my lady bits welcoming the sight. Having a baby…that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

I shook my head at the thought and Etch-a-sketch erased that crap from my mind quick fast.

"So…this daycare...how did you manage it? Where's it going to be, exactly?"

 _I will not have sex with my boss. I will not have sex with my boss._ Maybe if I wrote it on a blackboard, it would be more effective.

"It wasn't hard, once I found the money," he began.

"Downgraded the cleaning crew?" I mocked.

"Good heavens, no!" He looked honestly offended. "It was simple. The daycare will be on the eleventh floor, so I simply fired the entire floor."

My heart stopped. That was Rosalie's floor. My pizza dropped onto the plate, and my jaw might have dropped onto the floor.

"The salaries saved me enough to provide low-cost daycare for ages six weeks to five years."

"You…fired…" I couldn't even finish the thought.

He looked me straight in the eye. His mouth turned into a sly grin. "It was a joke, Bella. I didn't fire anyone."

I finally allowed myself to breathe, and when I got my wits about me, I hauled off and socked him in the arm, _hard_. "Don't do that!"

"I don't think you should be attacking a man holding a baby," he replied, pulling himself and baby Ben back.

I wiped off my hands quickly and took Ben back. "Ben has a nap to get to. I'm sure you can see yourself out, Mr. Cullen."

Edward stood up and followed me into the living room, where Ben's small old crib was set up.

"Is he really going to sleep in that thing? It seems far too small and…rickety."

I sighed and stood up, turning to him. "Edward, we've discussed this before. Some people in this world don't have a billion dollars to fall back on, so they make do with what they have. Sometimes, it even means buying secondhand items and not sending your offspring to fancy-ass schools, where you have friends named Muffy and Buffy. Please, try and remember, there's a whole wide world of people out there, just trying to make ends meet, you one percenter!"

I rolled my eyes and went back to making sure Ben was good and covered.

"Since you took off all this time, and with this new daycare, you need to spend tomorrow preparing the proper paperwork. Send out a memo to all employees. It's on a first-come, first-served basis, and we're only going to be zoned for fifty kids. This is now your baby. You'll interview and hire all workers and oversee ordering all the necessary supplies, once the rooms are ready for move-in. I set up your expense account, and as of now, this is no longer my problem," Edward declared.

He was nearly a foot away, and his cologne was driving me wild. What was that scent? Calvin? Dolce? Damn, I wanted to lick it off him. His little power speech was getting the better of me, however.

"I…I don't think you should put me in charge of something so…important. Remember, I'm the brainless assistant who can't even manage Outlook. Maybe Angela would be better suited, since this…"

"No, Angela is already picking up the slack. I may have to hire Angela a new assistant soon, so she won't have to work weekends and nights, since it wouldn't be fair to take Ben away from his mother more than he already is. Bella, you wanted this. You fought me for it, and now, it's time to put some of your expertise into action."

"You want me to sex my way into a successful daycare?" I asked, appalled.

He closed the gap and reached out to place a gentle palm on my cheek. "You have far more going for you than just your sex expertise. I know you can do this, Bella. And you don't have much time, because we're leaving for my parents' house next Friday morning. So…I suggest you wrap up your babysitting gig and get to it, Miss Swan."

He let go of me, and since Angela's apartment was so tiny, it only took a few steps before he was out and gone, leaving me with a sense of loss I refused to acknowledge. I flopped down on the couch and spent the better part of my afternoon contemplating my feelings for my boss. No matter which way I tried to spin it, I kept coming back to the boss thing, and therefore, it felt highly taboo for me to indulge in such a complicated notion. On the other hand, I wasn't a relationship type of gal. I couldn't even keep a plant alive, if we were grading on the Sandra Bullock "28 Days" theory. What the hell would I do in a relationship with a billionaire? I would kill Edward for sure.

I needed some serious girl advice.

After leaving Angela's, I had popped off by Rosalie's favorite Chinese restaurant and ordered everything she loved to butter her up. We were in the middle of digging in, when I finally got up the nerve to start.

"So, Rosalie…" I cleared my throat, preparing for this awkward conversation, " um…there's this guy…" Damn it, how was I going to make it through this? "…and…he's…he's over me."

"He doesn't share the same feelings for you?" she asked.

"No…that's not what I meant. I mean, he's always over me…"

"He likes to be on top? He's a missionary man?"

Oh crap!

"Uh…yeah, let's go with that. Anyway, so, I don't know what to do, because I've never really been a relationship type of girl, but then he came along, and a huge part of me feels like I should run, because he's the boss of me…in bed. I mean, he always will be on top. There's never going to be a time when I can be on top, and therefore, shouldn't I be concerned that it's kind of wrong?"

Rosalie looked about as confused as I sounded.

"You don't think he'd be cool with letting you be on top?" she asked.

"Um…no, it wouldn't work. He has a…crooked dick. It only goes in one way. Anyway…that's not the point. The point is, maybe it's wrong for me to even think of a relationship."

I sighed and fell back to bang my head against the wall. This was getting me nowhere.

"Bella…it's just sex. There are so many more important things to think about, before you can seriously consider a relationship. Yes, sex is important, but the guy I'm seeing has issues, too. No guy is perfect. You'll never find a perfect man."

That helped. But just to be sure...

"Look, I need to come clean. I'm talking about Edward Cullen. We don't have a problem with sex. We have a problem with the whole…he's my boss, and I'm a huge nobody…plus, he can literally buy a country, so it can make things a bit awkward, when we go through the whole, 'What's new with your day?' and he replies, 'I conquered a nation today. How about you?' and I reply, 'I conquered all of season six of Supernatural.' You see…real problems."

Rosalie put down her plate and couldn't shake the mix of shock and horror from her eyes. "Uh…yeah, that's a bit bigger of a problem. God, Bella! You just met him. How fast do you work?"

"Hey!" I sounded more offended than I probably should have.

"I didn't mean it like that, but…Bella, you just started there last week. How are you already dating the man?"

"Well, we aren't dating. We only had sex once…twice, so it's really more of a snarky back and forth, semi-weird friendship. But I'm getting a vibe that he wants more, and normally, I'd be so turned off. Usually, once I've been there and done that, I move on, but he's…different, and I…I…" I shook my head softly, biting down on my lip, unable to say it.

"You're scared."

There, she said it.

"Why, though? As I said, we shouldn't even be…together. We have nothing in common. Complete opposites, and before you go all Paula Abdul on me, I'm not sure that's the reason we're attracted to each other."

"So, the sex was good? Crooked dick and all?" she asked.

I laughed loudly. "Whoa! Rewind. There was never anything wrong with his dick. I just didn't know how to tell you about Edward, without telling you about Edward. His dick is perfectly…perfect in every way. There'll never be a problem in the sex department for us."

Rosalie breathed out a loud sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god! I can't even imagine if I ever met him. I wouldn't be able to stop looking at his crotch and thinking about his crooked soldier."

I continued eating quietly, wondering what she was really thinking about me and the situation. Did she think I was a gold-digger? She knew me. She knew I would never be like that. Right?

"Bella, I don't know what the hell is going on with you, but you've seemed happier than I've ever known you to be. I think it could be due to Edward Cullen. It seems weird that everything happened so quickly, but who am I to judge? I go out to a club and come home with a boyfriend the same night."

"A boyfriend? Who?" I asked, realizing just how out of the loop I was.

"Um…his name is Emmett…"

"Emmett? Emmett, who does private security for…"

Rosalie cringed. She already knew. She knew who he worked for, and come on, how many Emmett's were there in the greater Seattle area? It wasn't exactly a common name.

"Yeah…he told me he knew you."

Once again, there were those odd circumstances that could just happen to be classified as coincidences. Coincidences? I think not. How had this happened, that Rosalie would just randomly go into a club that the head of Edward's security detail seemed to frequent as well? Paranoia was setting in once again.

"So...it's serious?" I asked warily.

"Super serious!"

Now, I had a whole new worry. Come Saturday morning, Mr. Cullen and I needed to have a serious one-on-one. Seriously.

Since the whole daycare thing had landed in my lap, and I only had a week to get it staffed and supplied, I had no choice but to go into the office on my Saturday off. I didn't know if Edward would be there or not. I arrived at nine o'clock, with my cup of coffee and a small bag of carbs. I fired up my computer and began to tap around on my keyboard. What the hell was I going to do with this project Edward had placed me in charge of? Never in my life had I been asked to work on anything of this magnitude.

I read through an email stating that my expense account had been set up with ten-thousand dollars. Ten thousand dollars! Holy hell, that was a lot of money. I felt myself get clammy at the thought. What was the first step? Hire employees? I didn't know the first thing about kids or babies. Three days with Ben had not made me an expert.

I jumped out of my chair and zoomed off towards Edward's office, but he was not there. I stomped around his desk, wanting to pick up something and play Hulk smash. How could he have left me with this!

My ass found a spot in his desk chair, as I tried to channel my inner billionaire. He ran a worldwide company, and he was only two years older than me. I could run a daycare. But I felt myself quickly losing the battle with sanity.

His private elevator doors opened, and a huge sense of relief flowed through me.

"Oh, thank god you're here! I was contemplating throwing myself out your window. Or perhaps down your elevator shaft. I don't know what the hell you were thinking, or clearly, you weren't thinking. Perhaps you thought putting me in charge of this daycare thing was your way of getting back at me for last week…"

"Bella!" He grabbed ahold of my shoulders and shook me. "Calm down. What's your issue?"

It was then I was able to calm myself enough to see how good he looked in his suit. Man, did the dude even own anything different? He was the Barney Stinson of Seattle! The moment of silence had me recalling the past twenty-four hours, and suddenly, I remembered the Rosalie situation. I pushed away from him and took a step back.

"I need to speak with you, and you'd better be honest with me, Edward!" I shook a threatening finger at him. "Did you know your Emmett was dating my Rosalie?"

He furrowed his brow and relaxed. "Yes. Of course."

I let out a breath. "And you didn't think to mention this to me?"

He let out a humorless laugh and walked over towards his couch. "Bella, I didn't think it was my place. Rosalie hadn't told you, and you clearly didn't tell Rosalie about…you and I. Was I supposed to say something regarding my personal security detail's private plans?"

I walked over toward him and sat down across from him. "Yes. When it involves my roommate, of course, you should say something. And…I did tell her about you."

He moved forward a little. "You did? What did you tell her…about me?"

I scoffed. "That's none of your damn business. Don't get me off topic. I need to ask you something, and you have to be straight with me."

It felt a little wrong, making such a request, when I myself couldn't be straight with him.

"Did you…put Emmett up to it? He wasn't acting under your orders to find and make an introduction with Rosalie? His intentions are pure, right?"

It was his turn to scoff. "Why would you think I'd ask Emmett to make Rosalie's acquaintance?"

I sat back, only minorly relieved. "Edward, you're a smart guy, but somehow, I don't think the word coincidence is in your dictionary."

He shook his head slightly. "Bella, I think you're being far too paranoid. What's really going on with you? I come in, and you seem way too stressed out. This isn't about the daycare, is it?"

Which brought me back to reality.

"God! Why did you have to put me in charge of this? How the hell am I going to know what to buy? You give me this huge-ass expense account, and I don't even know how to handle a thousand dollars. How the hell am I going to make good on ten thousand dollars?"

I saw him fighting a smile, and I wanted to punch him. "Bella…it's a hundred thousand dollars, first of all…"

"A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS!" I jumped out of my chair. "Oh, hell no! I quit! I quit, right here and now. Do you know how poor I am? I can't even figure out where to put the comma in a hundred thousand dollars poor! Have fun with your daycare, I'm so out of here!"

Before I could make it two steps, his arm snaked around to pull me back down to the couch to sit beside him. His mouth was close to my ear, and I felt my heart rate accelerating. Thoughts of my conversation with Rosalie popped up and floated around in the air. His arm was around my waist, and yet, it felt like such an intimate hold. I should have been running. Why was I not running away from the obvious relationship hold?

"Bella, I'll help you with finding a place to start. I'll show you an Excel program that'll help you keep track of all your expenses, but you have to relax."

I let out a small breath. "Excel. That's the one with little boxes, right?"

I felt him let out a small laugh against my hair. It took him almost a minute before he continued.

"You know, I asked you about something yesterday, remember? And although I wanted to wait until Saturday for my pity sex, I wonder if you'd be up for giving me a lesson."

If I wasn't turned on already, I felt my pilot light ignite, becoming bright and burning hot. I couldn't even move a muscle, in anticipation for what he would say next.

"A lesson?" I asked softly.

"I want to taste you. Can you show me how to pleasure a woman with my tongue?"

* * *

 **AN: Thank you sooo much for reading and reviewing. Really, I'm blown away by your reviews and love for this story.**

 **THANK YOU TO DOLLYBIGMOMMA FOR EDITING.**

 **DISCLAIMER: Story is mine. Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

It was so clear this was something I needed, and Edward, being the good little boss he was, had figured that out. He seemed to realize, if I had a little pregame orgasm, it would only help in the long run with his star employee's productivity. How could I not do my part and give him a lesson, which, in turn, would clear my head up nice and right for the major task ahead of me that day?

I stood up in front of him and placed myself between his legs.

"Undress me," I instructed, but instead of doing what I asked, he stood up.

"Not here."

He took my hand and pulled me towards his secret elevator. Where, exactly, was he going to take me? I didn't want to leave my purse at the office.

"Wait, let me get my purse."

"You won't need it. We aren't going far."

We got into the private elevator, and I briefly wondered if he planned on taking me down to the parking garage. Edward opened a small panel on the right side of the elevator and typed a different code into the keypad, and instead of going down, we went up. Up! This damn building had another floor to it? God, why didn't Edward just build a penthouse to Heaven!

The doors opened, and I walked out tentatively, only to get a full view of all of Seattle. A complete three-hundred-sixty-degree view, from a huge secret open apartment above seventy-seven.

"You live here?" I asked.

"I don't want to go all the way home some days, so I stay here, yes."

"Is there any way to make that disappear?" I asked, motioning toward the windows. "The view…makes me a little nauseous."

Edward walked over toward another panel and pressed a button, and the windows automatically shuttered to block out the outside world. I walked around the whole apartment to take it in. A kitchen, of course. The bathroom was on the other side of the elevator. And the most important tool I would need for today's lesson; a bed, complete with another creampuff duvet.

I walked over toward the bed and sat down. My lady bits were already tuning to the "A" string. I leaned back, and Edward came over to join me. I had on a short skirt, so I really didn't need to undress at all. Edward could move aside the string running up my butt, or he could completely unclothe me. I waited eagerly to see what he would do first.

I could see his bravado wearing thin. He stood in front of my knees, looking me over, as he tried to figure out the first step.

"Just do what you feel is natural, and I'll guide you," I offered.

He took a small breath in and then slid down to his knees. He began to strip off his suit coat and fold it neatly to place on the chair behind him. I saw him loosening his tie, and I'd swear, if he took any more time to undress, I would eat myself out and deny him the opportunity to do so.

Finally, he placed his hands on my upper thighs and ran them down and then up the length of my legs. I felt him place them at the top of my skirt, and I lifted slightly, so he could pull it down and off me. I scooted forward on the bed and opened my legs for him. I nearly felt like I was at the gyno, and he was about to tell me to relax and open wide.

"You can either take the thong off or move it to the side. It's up to you," I said.

I felt his face run slowly along my inner thighs, and his hot breath through my thong invading my moistened center. I tried to hold on to any groans. He didn't deserve to hear my pleasure when he hadn't even started. I felt my legs become antsy, as he took in my scent. He began to kiss me lightly over the outside of my thong, and I couldn't help myself, I pushed my pelvis up and smashed my business into his face, in hopes to get some relief.

"God, Edward…you have to do something. Stop teasing me already."

"For every award ceremony…there's a preshow. Relax, Bella, and let me take my time, so I can learn to do this right," he replied, with his face inches away from my center.

Who was teaching whom here now?

He pulled down my thong, and I was relieved he was moving this party along. The last thing I needed was an hour-long homage to my panties.

"Okay, run your tongue up and down my slit. When you get to the top, kiss me. That's the Little Miss I told you to keep happy."

I tried to remain professional in my teaching post, but I could hear my instructions were coming out a little breathy. I felt him begin at the bottom and make his way up with his hot, wet tongue. He did as I had instructed, and when he found my clit, instead of just kissing it as I had requested, he made a meal out of it, sucking and twirling his tongue around the old girl. I felt my hips rise off the bed, as I let out a loud groan. My hands found his hair, and I pulled a little roughly.

His hands took a strong hold on my hips, and he brought me back down to the bed and secured me in place, while he continued his little game, but I needed more.

"Use your fingers."

He pushed one finger in.

"Note that I said finger-za, as in multiple!" I huffed, frustrated. He adds one, but it was still not enough. My love tunnel had already become accustomed to more, just after two shags with him. He continued to pump his fingers in and out while sucking, but I didn't want to orgasm like this.

"Okay…I need you to fuck me. Please!"

But he didn't do as a good boy should have done and listened to the teacher. Instead, he removed his fingers and continued to hold me down and work me with his tongue like a fat kid eating a melting Fudgesicle, while I squirmed madly, trying to hold off.

"Come on, Edward!" I snapped. "Fuck me, already!"

I was screaming or panting. Screaming while panting, and trying to break away, all at the same time. I couldn't help it, because the feeling was too intense. I wanted more. I wanted to feel his shaft drilling me into the bed, but he didn't give in.

I was screaming obscenities at him, but he never relented, until I felt myself cum harder than I ever had and released an unnatural amount of fluid that made me suspect I might have just peed all over him. Oh god, had I just peed all over his creampuff duvet? I felt myself flop back, trying not to care about the bed, but not wanting to move, just in case I really had peed. Hey, maybe he was a golden shower kind of guy.

I heard him stand up and walk around, but I couldn't find it in me to care. I heard the faucet go off, and I rolled my eyes, wondering if he was brushing his teeth to take down as many germs from my pussy as possible.

He came back and placed a warm washcloth between my legs, and I jumped at the feeling. My eyes locked with his in surprise.

"Sorry, I just thought I'd help clean you up."

I nodded slowly and let him go about his business. No one had ever had the thought to clean me up. It was such a weird, intimate feeling. I tried to decide if it was a feeling I liked or not.

He finished and returned to his bathroom. I took the moment to jump up and assess the bed. There was a pretty good wet spot, but not one so big that it made me think I had peed on him. Thank god! Did this mean the virgin had actually made me cum so hard that I'd squirted?

Edward came out, as I picked up my clothes. I slid by him and gestured that I needed a minute in the bathroom. I felt better, but I was kind of let down that we hadn't had sex. He really was planning on making me wait until Saturday night. God! This sucked.

When I came back out, he was gone. I walked around and found him in the kitchen preparing something, so I went over and casually slid onto one of his barstools.

"What are you making?" I asked.

"An omelet. You need protein and some brain food. No more empty carbs and coffee for you. There is toast and almond butter over there, and I have a smoothie in the freezer that'll help you focus."

I got off the stool and walked over to where he was at the stove and watched over his egg making capabilities.

"Bella, the smoothie," he ordered. "I just made it fresh this morning. Pour yourself a glass."

I trudge off toward the freezer and found a container of some peculiar looking sludge. I poured it into a glass, and it flowed slowly with a couple of lumps. I made a face and looked up at him. "What, exactly, is in this?" I asked warily.

"I'm not telling you, or else you won't drink it."

"I still might not drink it," I mumbled.

I took the glass back toward the bar and repositioned myself on the stool again. "So, why didn't you ever tell me about this place? We could've had your maiden voyage here."

Edward continued to work expertly on the omelet. "Well, I like this place, but I feel more comfortable at my home. I thought it'd help you feel more comfortable, too. Make you think of me a little less like the boss. You seem to be hung up on that sometimes. Well, that and the billionaire thing."

"What billionaire thing?" I joked. He was right, though. I already had trouble with the distinction. He gave me the hairy eyeball and turned around to continue with his egg making. My eye caught sight of something else up my alley on the counter, and I slowly slid off the stool, trying to move stealthily towards my quarry.

"Okay, so, after breakfast, we'll go down to eleven, and I'll show you what you have to work with. Maybe if you get the lay of the land a little better, you'll feel more confident when making your purchases. Today, you should focus on putting out a memo to HR to find suitable recruitments for interviews. Write up a memo to the staff and have HR send it out to all employees."

I silently slipped a big blueberry muffin out of the container I had spied, and like he had eyes in the back of his head, he whipped around and plucked it from my claws.

"Hey!"

"Bella, pay attention," he admonished.

"I am! Memos to HR. Just because my tractor beam locked in on your muffins doesn't mean I'm not listening."

He pulled a plate out of his cupboard and slid the egg mess onto it. "I'm done with your eggs. You don't need any more muffins, scones, bagels, or donuts today. They'll just make you sluggish and provide absolutely no beneficial nutrition."

I huffed and took the plate from his hands and went back to sit on his barstool.

After breakfast, Edward sat down with me at his computer to show me how to maintain the spreadsheet he had set up. He had put formulas on the Excel program to keep me informed of how much I was spending, so I could keep track of my budget. When I was nearly asleep from all that knowledge intake, he took me downstairs and fitted me with a hardhat, before showing me the space. Apparently, Rosalie's department had been moved to the thirty-first floor, which had more room. Somehow, my lowly comrade, Rosalie, had even gotten her own office up on thirty-one. Hmmm...

I spent the better part of my week working long hours, trying to get this daycare up and ready for enrollment on Monday morning. I told Ben, with all the hard work I was putting in, he had better thank me by becoming a doctor or not marrying a Kardashian.

Once I had settled on a color theme, I found ordering furniture and supplies to be rather easy. Since I had no prior knowledge of the inner workings of daycares, I set up an interview with a local daycare director and paid her for her expertise. It was well worth the added expense.

Edward had left early to attend a meeting across town. I was super excited, because the next day was the fifteenth. Payday! My very first payday here. My advance had dwindled drastically, between the shopping spree and what I had given Rosalie to help with rent and utilities.

Since Edward and I were leaving for Oregon on Friday morning, I worked till midnight on Wednesday. I didn't want to let Edward down. I had a feeling he was wagering more on this daycare success than he had led me to believe.

I didn't want to go all the way home on Wednesday, since it was already so late. The bus schedule usually slowed down substantially after eleven o'clock, so I could be waiting outside for the better part of two hours before it came.

Instead, I went to Edward's office and slept on his couch. I didn't know the secret mystery code to his hidden apartment. Plus, it was his little hideaway, so I didn't want to take liberties and assume I could just frequent it like I was his Girl Friday.

My head had just hit the hard arm on his stiff modern couch, when my phone vibrated. I groaned, pulling it out of my pocket.

What are you still doing there?

I sighed. Before I could answer, however, he called.

"You know, its common courtesy to give someone a minute to reply before calling, don't you?"

"Seriously, Bella. It's past midnight."

"Of course, it's past midnight. You gave me an impossible task to complete in six days' time. I don't have the weekend to finish this. When else was I going to get all this done? I just wanted to catch a few Z's, and then I'll get back to it, boss. I didn't want to go stand outside in the dark to wait for the bus at this hour, so I hoped you'd at the very least let me sleep on your hard-ass uncomfortable couch."

"Go upstairs and use the apartment."

I sighed and sat up. "Edward, that's your special place. I don't need a fancy apartment. I've been sleeping on the floor for the better part of a month. The couch will be fine."

"It's not being used. Please, just go on up. The code is three-six-seven-one-seven. You need to sleep in a bed, especially if you're going to be of any use in the morning. Remember, I have that breakfast at the Fairmont in the morning, but I'll be in by ten."

I sat silently, contemplating his offer.

"Go, Bella!"

I grunted. "Fine. Three-six-…"

"Seven-one-seven," he finished. "Goodnight, Bella."

I thanked him and wished him goodnight as well. I got in the secret elevator and punched the code into the panel box. The doors opened, and I could see all of Seattle lit up. I had no idea how to close the shutters, so I focused on finding the bed. I crawled in between the sheets, and for a few lovely minutes, I reimagined the last time I had been in this bed. Would it be wrong to rub one out in my boss's bed? Knowing him, he would have a camera pointed at me right now. Hmm…maybe he would enjoy the show.

I bit my lip and pulled back the covers, but before I began, something else occurred to me. He had known I was in his office on his couch. Suspicion was confirmed. He did have cameras in his office. So, did that mean he had seen me messing around on his computer last week? Did he know how I had betrayed him?

I wrestled back and forth for hours. If he did know, there was no way he wouldn't say something. He might like the woman who had deflowered him, but not enough to let her get away with what I had done. The last time I had looked at the clock, it'd had a three at the beginning. Well rested was not in the cards for the next morning.

"I need you to send over proper attire for Miss Swan. Yes, she called last week. You should have her size on file. Thank you."

I groaned, feeling as if I had a hangover.

"Time to wake up," he sang. I felt his weight added to the bed where he sat down near my legs.

"No," I whined. "Pay the sun to go away."

"I would but all the ways I know to accomodate your request would lead to the destruction of all mankind by causing Earth to freeze."

I opened my eyes and was greeted with the blazing sun shining through Edward's massive windows.

"Sounds good," I replied.

He rolled his eyes and stood up from the side of the bed.

"What time is it?"

"After ten. I would've thought the bed would've given you a better rest, but here you are, looking…ragged," he said with a grimace.

"Thanks, boss. Right back at you."

"I brought you some breakfast from the Fairmont. I even let you get away with some pancakes, so consider this your carb. You have a lot to do today. Your clothes should arrive by the time you've eaten and showered. Please, prepare Angela for her duties this weekend, since we won't be here. She'll need to be here for the delivery and setup of the daycare items on Saturday and Sunday. The painting is done, and you can begin to move in today."

I waved at him to stop. "God, can't you at least let me fully remove the crusties from my eyes, before you began your dictations?" I groaned.

"Bella, you're already late by over two hours. You can de-crusty in the shower."

I pulled myself from the bed and slumped off toward the bathroom. I began to check my phone for emails and saw that my direct deposit had gone in. I felt myself begin to perk up. I opened the app to my banking site and wait while it loaded. Once the number appeared, I had to rub said crusties from my eyes. That couldn't be right.

I jumped off the toilet and pulled up my panties, before hauling ass back out to Edward.

"What the hell is this? I told you I didn't want you to…pay me for outside services rendered."

He looked completely confused, as he ran his hands down his dark suit. He shook his head slightly, wondering what I was bitching about now.

"Edward, I just checked my bank account."

"Okay…it's payday. I don't see what the problem is," he stated.

"There's over five grand in here! For a couple of weeks of work, you expect me to believe my going rate is over five grand?"

He swallowed, but he still looked confused. "Bella, that's after taxes, first of all, and I didn't up your pay because you had sex with me. It's the going rate for an executive assistant to the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company," he explained slowly.

I laughed. "Okay, so, if I were to go down to Angela and ask her what her paycheck said, she'd tell me her rate is the same?"

Edward folded his arms across his chest and stood taller. "No, because it's a rule to not discuss your pay rate with another employee. However, if it'll make you feel better…"

He pulled out his phone and tapped away on it.

"You can see it for yourself. She makes more than you do. There's a reason Angela jumped off maternity leave when she did. She was making a third of her new rate before she left. I'm not paying you for sex, and for future reference, I'm not going to have this conversation with you again."

I looked at his phone and saw her rate. He was right, she was being paid slightly more than I was.

"Why is she making more than me?"

Edward's mouth dropped open, and he looked ready to yell, so I gave him a sly smile to let him know I was only kidding.

"Alright, Miss Swan. I've had about enough of your lip."

He charged at me and picked me up easily, throwing me over his shoulder. I screamed at the intrusion. I felt his hand come down hard on my butt, as he walked me toward his bathroom.

Instantly turned on!

"Hey, if you want to get handsy, you're going to have to finish the job," I demanded.

He set me back down on my feet at the entrance to his bathroom. "Maybe if you weren't already running so late, I would've considered it. Why don't you take a cold shower, Miss Swan?"

I huffed and flipped around. I'd swear, by the time Saturday night came, I was going to explode.

Thursday flew by, and then came Friday morning. I felt like I was leaving my own baby in the hands of Angela while I was away. I could see the potential my new center had. The interviews had gone well the day before, and we were all full up on enrollment.

Edward sent a car to the apartment for me. Since Rosalie already knew of my…whatever…with Edward, she didn't question it. I had explained that he needed moral support that weekend for his reunion, so I wouldn't be back till Sunday evening. She was happy for the privacy, stating her need to have her some Emmett lovin' time. It still felt odd that she had fallen for the very man who was supposed to be watching over Edward. However, I had noticed he seldom was around…at least, Emmett hadn't been by the office. What kind of personal security was never around the billionaire?

I waited at the front door to Edward's house, until he came down to greet me. Once again, he was dressed in a three-piece suit.

"I'm just finishing packing. Why don't you come on up?"

I followed along, hoping my suspicions on his wardrobe weren't true. I walked into the bedroom, and on the bed was a small duffle bag, and hanging was a garment bag filled with suits. I walked over to the duffle bag and rummaged through it.

"Edward, what is this?" I asked, pulling out a large wad of cash.

He came over to see what I was talking about. "It's my travel cash. I try not to use a credit card. It's not safe."

"How much is this?"

He shrugged. "Fifty-thousand. Since we aren't going out of the country, I don't foresee the need to bring more."

"Where the hell do you think we're traveling to? Monte-Carlo?"

He laughed. "No, Bella. That'd be out of the country."

I looked at the banded cash in my hands and removed the band. "Can I?" I asked with a smile so large.

He shook his head, confused as to what I was asking for, but he waved his hand for me to proceed. I threw the cash up in the air and let it rain down, while dancing around in it and squealing. Edward stood there, shocked. I didn't think he had understood what I'd wanted to do.

"Don't worry, I'll pick it up. I'm sorry, but I don't know if I'll ever date a billionaire again to have this opportunity."

I got down on the floor and began to collect the money.

"Date?" Edward asked.

I froze.

"Or…whatever it is you want to call this," I replied.

I focused on picking up the cash, feeling his eyes all over me.

"So…you'd be open to dating?"

Oh, crap.

I sighed. "Edward, there are rules…"

"And this wouldn't violate any of them," he jumped in.

"Yeah, but dating leads to other things."

Man, this damn cash really did get everywhere. It was taking me a lot longer to pick it up than I had thought, and now, I was stuck with an inquisition.

"Like sex? I think we can already cross that off the list," Edward pressed on.

I stopped and looked up at him. Once again, it was something I had been struggling with. What, exactly, did I want from this? More than I had ever thought, but what kind of relationship started with lies? Stabbing your partner in the back to save the life of your best friend could be construed being as mighty rude. If he knew what I had done, he would never have been asking me these questions.

"We're about to spend the weekend with your family. I think we need to focus on surviving that. I can't be thinking about dating…my boss, when I should be focused on remaining professional. The last thing we need is for your parents to catch wind of…whatever this is, when we don't even know what it is. Now, are you really going to stand there and watch me gather all this cash, or are you going to be a gentleman and help me un-rain this room?"

He nodded, I guessed content with my answer for the time being. He began to crouch down in his over-priced suit, and I sighed once more. "Edward, what are you wearing? Please, tell me that isn't what your family is going to see you in."

He stood back up to assess himself. "What's wrong with this suit? It's one of my favorites."

I stood up and plopped the cash I had gathered from the floor on the bed and went over to his huge closet. I began to go through the entire thing, but it was stuffed with fancy-ass suits and formal pajamas.

"This can't be it."

Edward watched me from the corner and looked mildly offended. I threw my hands up and pushed past him. I flew around the room, gathering the last of the cash, and then I threw it all into the duffle bag haphazardly. Edward's mouth dropped open in dismay.

"Come on, Mr. Fancy Pants. We have to go shopping. I refuse to be seen with you until you have proper attire."

Edward's protests had diminished by the time we had arrived at Bloomingdales. I think he had finally caught on that I was not going to relent, so he backed off. We were waiting at the counter, while they tracked down Jessica. Bloomingdales Jessica.

"This is ridiculous. My suits are respectable, and now we're going to be behind schedule for our expected arrival," he argued.

"Trust me, your parents will thank me. Besides, I'm not a big fan of the makeover montage scenes in movies, either, but your movie definitely needs one."

Jessica finally came to us. I didn't think I could take one more minute of Mr. Sourpuss.

"Mr. Cullen. Miss Swan. How can I be of service?"

So far, in person, she was loads better than work Jessica. Edward began to speak, but I placed my hand on his chest to stop him. "Hi, Jessica. We're going home to see his parents, and we need a look that says, 'Why, yes, Mom and Dad, I did have that stick removed from my ass, and the doctors have given me a good prognosis.'"

She attempted to quash her laughter, while Edward gave me the hairy eyeball. He was getting good at those.

"So…what were you thinking?" she asked.

"Let's go for Batman circa two-thousand-eight, and less Batman circa nineteen-eighty-nine. No turtlenecks." I turned to Edward. "You're much more a Bale than a Keaton. By the way, he's the one with the Alfred."

"I know who Batman is."

I gave him a look of shock.

"I saw one of the movies a long time ago. I think there was a clown or something."

I sighed. And back to square one, we went.

"Also, we need boxers, regular cottons and boxer briefs, no white manties," I instructed with a shudder, remembering our night together.

"I'll get right on it," Jessica scurried off.

"What's wrong with my underwear?" Edward huffed.

I rolled my eyes and groaned loudly. "Edward, the underoos gotta go. You're not five anymore. The only time briefs should be seen is if they have superheroes on them. Plus, your sperm will thank me, when they finally do find their vessel. You don't want suffocated, stressed-out sperm that comes flying out disoriented, because they've been cooped up and are dying for breathing room. Get the boxers, and you'll have a very happy Mrs. Billionaire with a thoroughly fulfilled egg. Speaking of which, what do you think about Jessica? She's cute. She's used to being around wealthy people, and this job is just one step away from event planning and culinary masterpieces the wife of a billionaire should be able to handle."

Edward cringed and looked at me like I had grown a second head.

"What? No!" he shook his head. "Why would a billionaire's wife need to do all that?"

I shook my head in shock and dismay. "Edward, that's just what they do. You need someone who's essentially a personal assistant with your social life. Sure, push out a couple of kids to ensure the family name is carried on, along with the money you plan on leaving your offspring."

Edward walked away shaking his head and then came back. "I think my wife will have her own brain and do whatever it is she wants to in life. It'll be my job as her husband to provide whatever future she could wish for. I don't need a party planner. There are plenty of professional party planners I can hire. I can afford a chef. I can afford anything we'd need. Jessica is not the woman I want. Please, don't think of pushing some poor unsuspecting girl on me. I'm not interested."

I folded my arms over my chest. "Fine. But you know, tick-tock. It's not just a viable vessel you'll need. You also need viable sperm, and you're not exactly Benjamin Button."

Thankfully, Jessica popped up at that exact moment to stop our fight from turning into an all-out war. I didn't know why he had to go getting his manties into a bunch. I was trying to help the man out. Couldn't he see that?

Jessica showed Edward to a dressing room, and while he was in there trying on the first outfit, I pulled Jessica aside.

"Hey, your eveningwear department wouldn't happen to be close, would it?"

I had something from Rosalie's closet for the reunion, but it didn't fit me properly. I wanted to look good for Edward. I wanted to look drop-dead gorgeous, so he could feel confident walking into his reunion. I wasn't exactly a Michelle, more of a Romy, but I needed to turn heads.

"It's right over there," Jessica pointed the way.

I hurried over and quickly thumbed through their onsite collection. Thankfully, I was usually true to size, so I wasn't too worried about trying stuff on. I found a few hot numbers and dashed into the dressing room. My choices were a sleek black number, a fiery red dress that ran down to the floor and hugged my body, or a short satin sapphire tea dress. When it came down to it, how could I say no to the red?

Edward walked out dressed impeccably in a maroon cashmere sweater with gray casual slacks. My mouth dropped wide at the sight. I was turned on. I know. I know. It didn't take much these days, apparently.

"I like it, Edward. Now, doesn't that feel better? I mean, really take time to appreciate the soft texture on your body," I said, rubbing my hands up and down his arms.

"It's not bad," Edward replied and then cleared his throat awkwardly.

Jessica brought over the dress I was planning on having Edward buy and placed it on the rack next to his shopping finds.

She walked off and went to get another group of clothing.

"Don't worry. I'm going to wear it with the tags and bring it back after the weekend, so you can get your money back," I said. "Hmm…I should probably get some shoes, but those are kinda hard to return after you scuff the bottoms. Oh, well, I just got paid a shit ton of money, I can afford those. I'll be right back. Be nice to Jessica and get this whole entire outfit."

I skipped off to the shoe department to find some stilettos I normally would have never paid nearly a grand for, but with my little raise in the finance department, I treated myself.

I went to hand my card to the salesperson, but she shook her head.. "No payment needed. Mr. Cullen already took care of it."

I pulled back my card slowly. "Of course, he did," I muttered.

I walked back over towards him with the bag in my hand. Once he saw me, I locked eyes with him and gave him a stare.

He held up his hands in defense. "I'm warning you, Bella. I'd better not hear you say one word about sexual favors or sexual transactions. This trip is an issue you're helping me with. The least I can do is buy you some shoes and a dress."

I dropped the bag of shoes down at his feet and continued to walk to him, until I was only a couple of inches away. "Shoes. Fine. But dress, no. It's too much."

"This isn't a negotiation," he replied coolly.

"You're right. It isn't."

We stared down one another in the middle of Bloomingdales' men's department, until Jessica popped back up.

"Jessica, please add this to the other purchases and have them remove all tags and pack it properly," Edward directed.

I scoffed and stepped back. "Not this jacket. We need one that says, 'I didn't mug the Monopoly man,'" I ordered, nodding at the offending jacket he was currently trying on.

Edward looked over the jacket, pouting. "I like this one," he replied like a sulky teenager.

"Fine. Jessica will find you something more age-appropriate, and I'll purchase this coat for you as a thank you for the shoes and dress. That should make us about even, right?"

I folded my arms over my chest. Edward stewed, pulling the coat off his body and hanging it back up. Look who won this round, Mr. Cullen.

The shopping expedition did put us terribly behind. We would be lucky to make it in time to see his parents that evening. I didn't know why it was in our nature to assume things as human beings, but unfortunately, I had just assumed we would be driving to Sherwood, Oregon, which would place us there around five o'clock, if there was no traffic and limited food stops. My worst fears materialized, when Edward's driver pulled up and parked in front of an unholy demon beast.

Captain, prepare for the immediate landing of my hopes for pity sex, because I was about to die.

* * *

AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing!

Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing and her use of manties ;-)

DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

"No. Nein. Neit. Uh-uh. Nada. Nope!"

I kept shaking my head, with my eyes locked onto the offending mode of transportation.

"What's wrong?"

Edward was thoroughly perplexed, but he was going to have to take a number because there were so many voices going off in my head, I couldn't respond. They were getting louder and quite possibly speaking different languages. Was this what an aneurysm felt like?

"I…I…I…I'm not going on that. No! I mean…" I began laughing hysterically. Edward looked at me questioningly, not amused. I finally quashed the laughter. "NO!"

"Are you afraid of flying?" Edward sat back in his seat after seeing my eyes twitch, shaking his head. "Bella, this is the safest in its class. Our odds of dying in a plane crash are dramatically lower than if we were to drive."

I kept shaking my head, emitting some kind of defiant sound.

"You have to get on this plane, Bella."

I continued with the head shake as my main source of communication.

"Alright, fine." He dug out his phone from his new inner coat pocket. "You can call my mother and explain that, after six years of not having her baby boy at home, all her hopes and dreams are shot, because you're too scared to get on one of the safest planes in the world. Tell my sister, who flew in from Paris just to be there to see me, that she should just pack her bags back up and return. Go ahead. I'll wait."

I saw the phone in his outstretched hand, and my head momentarily stopped shaking. I fought my inner turmoil, because I knew what I had to do. There was only one reason I was even considering doing this. It was because I still felt so guilty for what I had done to Edward. Maybe me getting on this plane and reuniting him with his family would be a step on the contrition pathway.

I huffed loudly and pushed my door open. Our bags had already been taken from the trunk of the car and loaded onto the plane. Edward got out of the car, looking snazzy from our recent shopping trip, and came around to help push me down that damn penance pathway. I could already feel bile rising in my throat, as I inched toward the plane.

"Would it be easier if I carried you?" Edward mocked.

I was feeling far too queasy to snap back with a snide remark. I was worried I would blow chunks any moment. With each step I took, I now understood what it felt like to walk the stairs to one's gallows back in the hanging days.

Edward had to push me through the doorway, but my natural instinct was to spread out my arms and legs like a cat that had been thrown into a swimming pool. He pried me loose and led me over to a chair, and I felt my nails…well, what was left of them from my constant biting habit damage…trying to tear into the leather. I closed my eyes and focused on my deep breathing, while I felt Edward strapping me in. I didn't know what the point of the seatbelt was. If we were going to die, I would have rather been knocked out from being thrown around, than to have to endure the horrible spiraling plunge back down to the earth while strapped in to enjoy the sights out the pretty little window.

The plane was so loud, I could barely think of anything soothing. I could feel my breathing quickening, until a loud bang interrupted my meditation. I attempted to jump out of my seat, but since Edward had done a decent job of strapping me in, I didn't get far.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" I screamed.

Edward grasped my arm and pulled me back down next to him. "It was just the door closing. Calm down, Bella. We haven't even left the tarmac."

I think the next half hour could have been categorized into three parts. One, my squeals of, "Oh, my god!" followed by many chanted, "Holy fuck!" mantras. Part two, me heaving my morning breakfast into these little useless bags Edward had thoughtfully had the good sense to provide. Part three, my pitiful screams, as we finally landed in Oregon. I now had a thorough understanding of why the Pope always kissed the tarmac when he exited the plane. He wasn't blessing the place. He was thanking God he had survived to tell the tale.

We were on the ground and not moving, as I waited for my breathing to catch up and slow. I peered over at Edward, who was looking at me as if he had personally witnessed the dissolution of Beyoncé's marriage to Jay Z.

"I think after this, I might have to give _you_ the pity sex."

My eyes flashed red. "Shut up!" I snapped.

I pulled the seatbelt off me and tossed it violently aside, before storming off the damn plane.

"Just so you know, I _will_ _not_ be flying back. I don't care if I have to walk, Uber, hitchhike, or join a pride parade to get back to Seattle. I _will_ _not_ be flying!"

There was a car already waiting on the tarmac for Edward. A sleek, surely very expensive car, that looked like it belonged in a Transformer movie. I waited by the door, with my arms folded across my chest. Edward had the good sense to not pester me.

We had driven about five miles, when I could feel my senses coming back to me. I had been on a plane. I had endured, and I was better and stronger for it. It would not be happening again.

"So…what fancy smancy hotel did you set us up in?" I asked.

Edward furrowed his brow. "Casa Cullen."

Once again, too many assumptions had been made. _In future, must tack down travel plans before agreeing to partake._

"Please, tell me that's French for castle?" I quipped.

"No, chateau is French for castle. Casa is Spanish for house," he attempted to explain. Note how I said, attempted.

"Yes, Edward, I know casa is Spanish for house. I'm not as stupid as you think I am."

"I don't think you're stupid at all. Uneducated, but not stupid," he defended himself.

"Thank you, Harvard. I feel much better now."

"I didn't go to Harvard," he said, sounding wounded.

I sighed, but I wasn't forlorn for long. "Ooh! Pull over here!" I demanded. "I'm hungry."

I saw a McDonald's, and since I had left my breakfast in Mr. Fancy Pants' jet's disposable bags, I needed to replenish my electrolytes.

"Bella, we're less than a half-hour away. You can wait."

"Excuse you. You made me get on that unholy deathtrap that robbed me of my morning intake. The least you can do is let me eat something. I'll pay, and don't worry, I'm not going to mess the interior of your ostentatious Batmobile."

He relented and managed to drive his high-end car through America's cheapest restaurant.

I undid my seatbelt and climbed a little over him, so the person taking my order could hear me. I wasn't about to hope Edward would relay what I needed.

"I'll have a six-piece chicken McNuggets, large fries, a McChicken, two chocolate chip cookies, and a large sweet tea."

I retracted to sit back in the seat, and Edward looked at me wide-eyed.

"I'm sorry, did you want something?"

He sighed and pulled forward.

Once we were back on the road, and I had my first bite, Edward kept pressing upon me the need to eat over the paper bag. If even one drop of poison landed on his leather seats, he would personally strap me to the wing of his plane. Blah, blah, blah…

I finished the food in record time. I saw a gas station up ahead and knew he was going to blow it, but I couldn't help myself.

"Do you mind stopping at that convenience store?"

"Oh, my god! Bella!" he yelled. "You're turning this day into the Never-Ending Story!"

My mouth dropped open wide. "Did you just make a pop culture reference?" I pretended to wipe an imaginary tear from my eye.

"I watched it once as a boy. I remember liking it," he defended softly.

"Please, will you stop. I need some gum. Do you really think I want to meet your family with McDonald's breath? I'm trying to make a good first impression over here."

He sighed and turned the car up the driveway to the Seven-Eleven. I jumped out the second he stopped and ran in. Zooming around the store, I managed to find everything one would need to survive a weekend. I came toting two large bags back out to the car, where Edward had stayed waiting.

"I thought you said you needed gum?" he asked, appalled.

"I got some." I pulled out the small pouch and held it up. "Look, I needed to store up for winter. We're staying with your parents. The very same people who didn't have the good sense to raise their children on wholesome processed food, like the rest of good American people. I needed a few supplies to get me through."

"You could go two days without processed junk."

I laughed humorlessly. "I'm not on a cleanse or made any New Year's Resolutions lately. I need my stash. You're more than welcome to partake. I got a little something for everyone. Ho-Ho's. Ding Dongs. Twinkies. Starburst. Snickers. Skittles. Hi-Chew. Twizzlers and Red Licorice. Fritos. Doritos. Funyuns. Beef jerky. Cheez-its. Cornnuts. Peanuts. Mixed Nuts, and of course, cotton candy. A very hard find in most convenience stores…so, score!"

Edward's face nearly matched the color of his new sweater.

"How are you not five-hundred pounds?" he gasped.

I opened a Twizzler and began pulling at the strings. "Aw, are you saying you wouldn't love me if I was five hundred pounds?" I jested.

Edward cricked his neck and turned back to the steering wheel, starting up the car. "No…of course not."

I so did not want to touch that with a ten-foot pole.

I bounced happily in my seat, while we sailed down the freeway. Once I could see Edward taking natural breaths, meaning he was over my extra-curricular food runs, I approached him with a new topic.

"So…tell me about your family? Give me the skinny, so I don't go in there completely unprepared."

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Not much to tell. My father is a cardiothoracic surgeon. Meaning her operates on hearts."

"I know what it means. I watch Grey's Anatomy. I could probably recite the proper procedure to perform an appendectomy by now," I said.

"My mom…she stays at home…doing those…what was it you said…billionaire wife duties? Plan parties and dinners, and my sister…well, she's amazing. Alice is everything I wish I could be."

I smiled softly and leaned back in my seat. "I think that's the nicest compliment you could ever give another person. You should tell her that."

We sat in silence for another few minutes.

"So…" I began.

"Yes, Bella, what do you want to know now?"

I scoffed a little and leaned forward to prop myself in a position to look at his face, while we went over my next most important point of order.

"We need to be professional. Completely professional. The last thing we need is for them to think something is up between us. I'm sure you never brought home an assistant before, so my presence could cause confusion. Remember to tell them you have a very important client who needs your utmost attention, and I'm here to facilitate that relationship. We'll call it the…Ellis project, in honor of Kate Messing's performance in The Wedding Date. It could kind of be the same scenario. Girl hires a male escort to fool family. In our case, guy hires a female escort to fool family, but professionally fool family."

Edward shook his head and sighed. "I didn't understand a word of that last part. And before you tell me Netflix, you're not a female escort, and I'm not paying you for this weekend, so technically, we're not boss-slash-assistant right now."

I shook my head right back at him. "Someone is getting paid, but it isn't with USD currency. Pity sex could be a form of payment, hence the female escort remark. Just remember, pity sex can be a wonderful thing, as long as you don't remember how pitiful you are while doing it. Oh, and we'll not be having pity sex or any other kind of sex under your parents' roof. Lord knows that'd be a dead giveaway for our…unconventional relationship."

Edward laughed and looked out his side window. "Bella, you won't make it five minutes with your charade. My sister will know. She has this weird gift."

"Mind reader?" I asked.

"No…more like psychic. She'll have you pegged the second you get out of the car."

I sat back in my seat and folded my arms across my chest like a petulant child. We'd see about that.

We finally arrived at the large iron gates that seemed to grace every Cullen property. They slowly opened, and Edward steered the car down the long path. Not nearly as long as the path on his property, but long enough. The house was exactly what I had imagined. Mansion, of course, but a more classic style than that of Edward's modern home. Cobblestones and brickwork, with lots of windows, and a fountain in the front was all lit up. The only reason I wasn't intimidated was because of my excellent plan for keeping with the whole business-over-pleasure charade I had forced into my head. I wasn't meeting the boyfriend's parents. I was meeting my boss's parents, who happened to be bystanders for the work weekend I had to endure. Unpaid or not.

The moment our car arrived, the door flew open, and a young woman danced her way down the steps to greet us. She had long brown hair, flawless skin, and a perfect fashion sense. Edward got out of the car, before I took in a long breath and opened my door.

"Edward!" the woman squealed in delight. She ran over and launched herself into his arms.

"Mom."

Mom? Damn. Well, I guess I knew her secret talent. Apparently, she never aged.

I stood awkwardly by the car, and I could see her eyes widen in surprise, when "Mom" turned around.

"Mom, I'd like you to meet Bella…she's my…"

"Personal assistant," I jumped in, before Edward could fuck this up. "Lovely to meet you, Mrs. Cullen. My apologies for my intrusion. Mr. Cullen has quite a bit of work my focus needs to be set on this weekend. I'll try not to get in the way of your…reunion."

Mrs. Cullen took a step back and looked between Edward and me. She was good. She knew something was fishy.

"The same Bella who answered the phone, Edward Cullen, sex god extraordinaire?"

FUCK!

I let out a little laugh. "It was…a dare…" I stuttered to come to a reasonable argument. Thankfully, another female saved me from myself. The door flew open again, and this time, a tiny ballerina flew down the steps, leaping off the bottom step and flying straight into Edward's arms. Okay, I was going to assume this was the sister. Game face.

I climbed back into the car and reached over to pop the trunk. When I moved back out of the car, I saw Edward with the biggest smile I had ever seen. For a second, I paused, taking in the moment. The pause was too long.

"Who's this?" the ballerina asked.

I took a step back, gesturing toward the trunk. "I was just collecting the bags, Sir."

Edward rolled his eyes, but he replied to her, "Alice…this is my…assistant, Bella."

I wanted to nut punch him for taking too long to say my title.

Alice stopped, looking at me closely, and then she focused on her brother's face for a very long second, before turning back to me again. I looked away and shuffled to the back to begin retrieving bags, hoping to load myself up, so I could not be interrogated at that moment.

"Bella, leave that. I'll get them," Edward said.

"Oh no! It's in my job description. Please, Sir…why don't you head inside and spend some time with your family?"

Alice waved me off. "No, no! Edward can get them. He knows where his room is, after all. Why don't you come in, so we can…chat," Alice replied, looking me over like I was a juicy stuffed turkey on the Thanksgiving Day table, and she was the family pitbull, waiting for everyone to look away for just a second.

I gulped, and Edward pulled the bags out of my tight grip.

"Why don't you run along...assistant. You don't want to keep them waiting. They'll only get hungrier," Edward said with a gleam in his eye.

I gave him a pointed stare, before releasing all our belongings and stiffly walking towards my doom. Suddenly, I was feeling severely underdressed. I was the assistant…who somehow had been upgraded to something more. To what? I had no idea, since Edward and I hadn't even taken the opportunity to figure that out yet. Purely his fault, of course. *Cough*Evade*Cough*

Alice laced her arm through mine and pulled me toward the house. Mrs. Cullen followed along after.

"So…how long have you worked for Edward?" Alice began with her line of questioning.

"Uh…three weeks?" I cringed, knowing how bad that sounded.

"Three weeks? Wow! Edward must really like you, if he's bringing you along on a personal vacation," she replied.

"What? No! Um…this isn't a vacation, at least not for me. We have a super important client I'm to focus on while here. You know, in fact, I should probably go and stay at a hotel. I mean…I can manage the Ellis account on my own, while you hang out with your family," I looked back to Edward.

Visions of me jumping around on a king-sized hotel bed while devouring a tube of cookie dough popped up into my head. Plan!

Edward walked forward and placed a soft hand on my shoulder. "Bella, you've been working so hard. Why don't you put the…Ellis account to bed for a couple of days? I know my family would love nothing more than to spend time with the woman who's become such an integral part of my…company."

Alice squealed and danced up to pull me away from Edward. "Why don't you go and see dad in his den, and we'll take Bella here to the kitchen. There's just _so_ much we have to know!"

Edward nodded, smirking. "That sounds like an excellent plan." He winked and whispered, "Play nice, Bella."

I didn't even attempt to wipe the contempt from my eyes. We would be having many words, when we were finally left alone, and they would mostly be of the four-letter variety.

The kitchen was beautiful. I liked it far more than Edward's state-of-the-art kitchen at his house. This kitchen was so warm and inviting, I wouldn't have minded picking up a cooking lesson or switching my television programming to FOOD Network for a month to attempt to learn a thing or two, just to play around in this kitchen.

"Would you mind helping with dinner?" Mrs. Cullen asked.

"Ooh, well, Mrs. Cullen…my culinary skills leave much to be desired. I really don't think you want me messing with your dinner."

"Bella, please, call me Esme," she placed a gentle hand on my back and gave me a genuine smile, once again, leading me to wonder why Edward wouldn't want to be a part of this woman's life more. I hadn't been around a mom in nearly a decade. It felt nice. I felt my shields come down marginally. "Just…how about we start off small and peel some potatoes."

She handed me a peeler and showed me to the sink. I looked at the small metal instrument and picked up a potato, still not sure what I should do. Mrs. Cullen gave me a short demonstration and waited until I got the hang of it. It wasn't so bad, once I got started. In fact, it was rather cathartic.

Esme left to go to the bathroom, and that was when Alice started in on me. "Okay, cut the crap. What's going on with you and my brother?"

I focused on my potatoes. "I don't know what you mean. He hired me…"

"I'm not stupid, Bella. That boy has never brought home a girl, mentioned a girl, or even looked at a girl before and today. Yet, he comes home, not alone, and he's not looking at us, who he hasn't seen in a few years. Instead, he's paying attention to the assistant, like she's this magical fairy about to spread her dust."

I let out a slow breath and attempted to hide my rosy cheeks. I looked slowly over towards her. "Okay…we might've hooked up…once or…twice," I cringed.

Alice squealed so loudly, it made me nearly stab myself with the peeler. "OH! Thank god! I thought he was a virgin," she clapped and hooted.

Cue the awkward pause.

"What? Your brother? No way. I swear, he's practically a slut. I'm sure you'd be happy to know he's very skilled in bed!"

Alice's face dropped, as it turned to disgust. "No! I would _not_ be happy to know that. I just…didn't want him to die a virgin."

Ah, geez! Maybe I wasn't so good with family after all. Yes, iTunes was so going to revoke my Family Affair download.

Alice perked back up, after a solid second of mental picture disgust. "So…you and him. Where do you see this going?" she sang.

I felt myself become seriously hypoglycemic. Where was my bag of sugar when one needed it?

"Alice, why don't you lay off Bella, or you'll have to explain to Edward why his new girlfriend ran away," Mrs. Cullen said, walking back in.

"Oh, I'm _so_ not his girlfriend. In fact, we haven't even been on a date. We're so currently in an 'It's Complicated' Facebook status, and lord knows if that'll ever change."

Alice narrowed her eyes at me. The very same eyes that seemed to tunnel into the depths of my soul and pick out the necessary information needed. "So…you and my brother are just…fucking?" Alice asked.

"Alice!" Mrs. Cullen snapped.

"ALICE!"

That last snapping came from behind. It was Edward.

I put the potato peeler down. "I need a restroom."

I walked out of the room. Which was completely stupid on my part, because how the hell would I know where a water closet existed in this damn casa? Instead, I found myself heading towards the front door, as if peeing in a dirt hole outside suddenly sounded appealing.

"Bella. Bella. Bella!" Edward ran to catch up with me. "Please, don't leave." He seemed genuinely upset.

"I just needed to pee," I whispered.

Edward looked to the left and replied, "That's the front door," almost as if I was so stupid that I wouldn't know this.

"I know. I…didn't know where the bathroom was, so I thought I'd cop a squat outside. I'm a wilderness kind of gal. We go wherever we need."

He put his hand around my waist and pulled me back. "Come on. I'll show you."

He led me upstairs without a word and into a large bedroom. Briefly, I could see my bags were on the bed, but I was more interested in the bathroom, so I quickly hurried in and locked the door.

I did have to pee, but I also needed a moment to regroup. Okay, so, my plan of being professional and polite hadn't worked. Now, I would need to move on to Plan B. What was Plan B in this situation? Once again, Edward and I weren't in a real relationship, but it felt odd to go about my weekend, with his family thinking I was the presidential intern in the blue dress.

I took longer than I should have, because Edward eventually knocked softly upon the door.

"Can we talk?"

I didn't answer.

"Please, Bella. I know you well enough. You're probably sitting on the bathtub, wondering how you can shimmy down the trellis."

I opened the door. "What's a trellis?" I asked, wondering if he had a good possible exit strategy.

"The latticework that holds the ivy to the side of the house. Alice used to shimmy down the trellis all the time, when we were kids in high school."

I walked around him and toward the bed. Taking in the room, I could see all the mementos Edward had kept from his childhood displayed around. Picture frames and science project medals. I would love nothing more than to wait until he wasn't around to snoop. Edward Cullen, preteen? God, that could be a fascinating read.

"Would you be upset if I didn't go down to dinner? I'm so tired, and with the plane and the daycare thing, I'm fried. I need a couple of hours to catch up on some sleep."

It wasn't a complete lie. In fact, it was obvious this was the reason I was so off my game with the sister.

Edward walked forward and sat down on his bed. "Bella, please, don't be upset with my sister. She doesn't know how to be around…I've never brought home a girl before."

"It's not her fault. I understand, but I'm not ready to deal with twenty questions, when I myself don't know the answers. I need to sleep, and then maybe I can figure out a way to give her proper answers."

He was silent, probably wondering if my first order of business when he left was to figure out the getaway process by trellis.

"What questions have you confused?"

I looked away and back outside. Was it too late to shimmy down the trellis? Would he see me if I moved very slowly?

"I think I'm going to plead the fifth, even though I'm not entirely sure what that means, no matter how many times I watch Law and Order. So…can I take my nap now? Is this where I'm staying? Or is there a guestroom? Oh, my god, that just brings up so many questions."

I pressed my fingers into the temples of my head and attempted to massage away the impending migraine.

"You can sleep here. If you…feel uncomfortable, I'll go and stay in the guestroom."

Without answering the question I had heard him ask, I went over towards the bed and sat down. Edward stood up stiffly and sighed, before he retreated out the door. Once he was gone, I felt like I could breathe freely. I looked around, and as much as I wanted to explore Edward Cullen: The Teen Years, I refrained. Instead, I went back to the window. I released the latch and lifted it up, sticking my head out. I looked over and saw the trellis thingy. Man, Alice must have been a freaking daredevil. There was absolutely no way I would ever go down that thing. Just looking down to the ground made me a little nauseous. Suddenly, I heard the door open.

"Sorry, I forgot my pho…"

Edward caught me pulling my head back in. "Bella, were you seriously trying to escape down the wall?"

"Are you out of your damn mind? I'd think from that 'Bella and the Airplane' prequel you witnessed earlier, you wouldn't have to ask that. My god, I may not want to deal with the questions your family has for me, but I'm not about to risk plummeting to my death to get away from them."

I walked over to the bed and flopped down upon it. It felt weird to be in an Edward Cullen bed without his trusty creampuff duvet. Edward slowly shuffled forward and eased his way onto the bed.

"If we were to define our relationship, it might ease your stress," he offered.

Or it could make me lose my lunch, and since I had already lost my breakfast today, one more loss and my stomach would officially fire me. I closed my eyes instead of answering.

I felt the bed move a little, as his weight was shifted. "Bella, how many types of sex are there?"

"What?" I gasped, opening my eyes.

"Well, you said there was fucking and pity sex? I mean, how many more types could there be? Other than making love, I'd imagine."

Oh, my god, he wanted me to go over this now?

I sighed and turned on my side to face him. "Well, I guess…just off the top of my head…there are a lot. I mean, you have fucking. Drunk sex. I-just-got-out-of-prison sex. Rough sex. Congratulatory bang. BDSM. Role-playing. There's a lot, and they're pretty much all the same, when you get down to it, except for making love."

He nodded and looked down at the quilt we were laying on. "Okay, so, what do you think is the difference between making love and fucking?" he asked.

I bit my lip, opting to not chew on my number two finger, so I wouldn't have to hear him give me sanitation guidelines. "Well…I guess…fucking is just two people working together for the same common goal. The orgasm. With love-making, two people are together because there's no place they'd rather be, and feeling that person inside of you, you never want that feeling to end, orgasm or not."

He mulled over the wisdom I had just laid down, and I was left to wonder what kind of question would come out next. Would he want to know about positions? What other sex advice could I impart, so I would be sending him out into the world with handy knowledge, while he searched for his viable vessel?

"Bella."

I sighed. "You don't have to say my name every time. I know it's me you're talking to," I replied.

"I like saying your name. I'd prefer to call you Isabella, but…"

I gave him a look, and he backed off.

"Bella," he paused, "If you had a billion dollars, what would you do with it?"

I snorted a laugh. "Edward, I'd be the worst person with a billion dollars. I like money, but I'd imagine a billion dollars would be wasted on me. I'd probably sit around the house, watching Netflix and eating cookie dough."

I yawned, and then a thought popped into my head. "Ooh! I know what I'd do. I'd totally build a vault for my billion dollars, and then I'd Scrooge McDuck it!"

Edward gave me the standard confused stare and head shake. "Scrooge...Mc...what? I don't understand."

I pulled out my phone and found a short on YouTube. I played the clip and watched him, as his face turned from confusion to disgust.

"Bella, that'd be highly unsanitary."

I sighed. "Yes. Yes, it would be, but if I was a billionaire, I could afford all the drugs in the world, so I'd be vaccinated against the horrors of money germs."

"Plus, if a person jumped from that height into a dense pool of gold coins, it'd be like diving headfirst into the concrete. You might die instantly, or at the very least, be paralyzed."

"Thank you, Edward, for ruining my dreams. Why don't you tell me one of yours, so I can make us even?" I suggested, and he looked ashamed for crapping all over my fantasy billionaire plans. "Why don't you tell me...your perfect night," I said.

Edward thought about it for a few short seconds, before replying, "Well...I'd want to...spend the night with the woman I loved."

I rolled my eyes. "Okay. And what would you two do? Lots of sex?"

Edward shook his head. "No, my perfect night would be us together in bed, talking...maybe kissing, and we'd just hold each other."

There was so much I could say to make fun of him for that, but it felt a little cheap of me to do so.

"Would you be the little spoon or the big spoon?"

He furrowed his brow. "I don't believe cutlery would need to be involved."

I wanted to laugh, but I refrained. "Please, don't ever change, Edward."

Silence once again. I nearly found myself so at peace that I wanted to nod off, until I felt him move to look at me. "Bella? Would you go out with me...on a date?"

I looked at him and hoped he didn't see my eyes filled with terror.

"You don't want to date me, Edward. You only think you do, because I popped your cherry. You're in a post-virginity haze. If you went out and literally fucked any other girl, you'd be over this. I'm not saying this to be mean. I just…know better. It's the hazards of losing your virginity. You think you're in love with the first loser who comes along and fucks you."

He placed a hand over my mouth. "Please, don't ever talk about yourself like that. I'm not in a virginity haze. I want to date you. Please, let me take you out on a date."

I shook my head and looked towards the ceiling. Date? Maybe if I said yes now, it would hold him off, and once we got back home, I could rescind it. There would be no way we could date, not until we were back in Seattle. With his reunion tomorrow evening, and us leaving on Sunday, it would be all too easy to still get out of it. Dating me would be a disaster I would spare him from.

"Fine. One date. And it'd better not involve any kind of aviation thing…and there'd better be food there. I mean real food, food that has the standard thousand calorie meal content. No…salad and crap."

Edward smiled, and I saw him lean slightly forward, before thinking on it and slowly retreating.

"Now, will you please go spend some time with your family? I'd like to take my nap, if you wouldn't mind."

He moved to get up but paused. He looked me over, and once again, I could see the little hamster turning his wheel in his head. He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek, before grabbing his phone and getting up to leave.

I flopped back down to the pillow after the door closed, thinking about a world where someone like an Edward Cullen dated a Bella Swan. It was a nice dream to have, but in reality, I could already foresee how it would turn out. An Edward Cullen deserved someone much better than a Bella Swan. Especially _this_ Bella Swan.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing! As always, I'm sooo happy how much you all seem to have embraced this story!**

 **Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing! :-)**

 **STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

My dreams were more like nightmares. Mostly, I dreamt of a future where Edward the virgin finally manned up and went out to explore all the women he could find, learning what he had been missing and finally moving on.

I was startled awake, when Edward's door closed firmly, rousing me from my restless slumber.

"Sorry, the door slipped," he apologized. I sat up in bed and saw he had a plate in his hands. "Thought you might like something to eat."

I took the plate and saw a small steak, potatoes, and some asparagus. It didn't look so bad. I might not have to dip into my convenience store supplies just yet.

"I'm going to shower, okay?" he gestured toward the bathroom.

I nodded in response and sat the plate down on the bed. I went straight for the potatoes first, eating until I cleaned the plate, and then I realized I was thirsty. Deciding to find my way to the kitchen, with the chances of running into the sister, was a thorough thought process. I knew I should wait until Edward got out and make him go down, but I was through with being scared.

It wasn't the sister I ran into, it was the mother.

"Bella," she said with a warm smile. "Did you enjoy the dinner I sent up?"

I nodded, still holding onto the doorframe like it was a life preserver. "Yes…thank you! That was kind of you, and it was really delicious. I just came down to find something to drink," I replied.

"Perfect timing, then. Perhaps you wouldn't mind joining me for a cup of tea?"

I wasn't really looking forward to that, but was I about to say no? No!

I awkwardly shuffled my feet towards the counter, where Mrs. Cullen began to pour out two cups worth into these ornate, flowery gold and pink china teacups.

"So, I wanted to apologize for my daughter's forwardness. We've just been waiting for you for so long."

I shook my head. "No, Mrs. Cullen, you haven't been waiting for _me_. I…your son…we're…it's just…" I huffed. "We haven't even been on a date yet. Edward is…we're not compatible. Surely, you have to see that."

She shook her head slightly. "First of all, it's Esme, and no, I don't see that. I think I see two frightened people who owe it to themselves to talk about it and open their minds."

"He's my boss," I stated the obvious.

"And?"

"Don't you think that's a little taboo?"

Mrs. Cullen smiled. "Why? Carlisle was my boss, and we've seemed to come out just fine."

"Really?" I asked, shocked.

"Well, I was a scrub nurse, and he was the head of the department. We knew to keep it quiet for a certain period of time, and then, when we were ready, we came out. By then, we wondered what we were ever worried about, because the people who knew and loved us, they were happy for us. In the end, when you go home at night, it doesn't matter who is occupationally over whom."

"Okay, yeah, I get that, but your son is super smart. Super successful…hell, there isn't any area he doesn't dominate in. I think if we pursued this, he'd just be disappointed or really bored. He doesn't have a lot of experience. If he were to go out and date, I think he'd find someone far more intellectually suitable."

Esme gave me a soft smile. "Firstly, I don't think you should sell yourself short. I don't think you're as intellectually unsuitable as you may think. Also, my child has not returned home in almost six years. It doesn't take a genius to know what changed his mind. You did this, Bella. For the first time in a long time, he wanted to come back here."

I felt my hand drop to make an embarrassingly loud thud sound on the granite. "Okay, I have to know…what's the reason for his exile? I mean, you seem pretty amazing. Why wouldn't he want to come back here?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but then she stopped herself.

"He didn't want to come back here because of me."

It wasn't Esme. I turned around and saw the sister standing there.

"Alice," Esme whispered.

"No, it's true. We all know it." Alice walked over and slid into a chair near Esme. "I'm sure you know Edward was bullied a lot in school," she began.

I nodded.

"Well, I dated a guy who was like a big brother to Edward. He was amazing. He looked out for Edward and hung out with him, knowing he was having a hard time. His name was Brandon, and I loved him so much."

I watched as Alice's eye began to water, her small frame trembling, as she searched for the words. My body was frozen in place, while Esme consoled her daughter with the gentle circles she rubbed on her back.

"Even though I'm shorter than Edward, I'm two years older, so when Edward was away at college…he went to Dartmouth when he was seventeen…Brandon became sick. Cancer. It was fast. When he died, Edward was only nineteen, and I swear, you would've thought Edward believed it was his fault. Like, he should've been smart enough to cure cancer. After that happened, he never came back."

I took a slow, shallow breath in. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

Maybe I would have been better off not knowing. To see Alice reliving the pain of telling that story, it might not have been worth it. But her confessions gave me more insight into Edward than I had been able to deduce for myself since I had known him. I wanted to picture this sixteen-year-old boy who had been the target of bullies, but my mind seemed to want to block that image. Poor Edward.

"I don't think he doesn't come here because of you, Alice. When we were on our way here, I asked him to tell me about you, and he said you were everything he wished he could be. I think he thinks a great deal of you. Edward doesn't seem to deal well with his past, from what I've seen."

I saw her watery eyes turn bright, matching the smile on her face.

I climbed the stairs, trying to concentrate long enough to find Edward's room once again. My thoughts were still on Alice. I opened the door and found Edward without a shirt, his treasures hidden by a dark blue towel. His face was filled with worry.

"God, where did you go? You scared me. I was worried you'd left."

I felt like the cat that had swallowed the canary. I had been entrusted with way too much information, and now, I stood to stare at Edward in his towel, confused as to what I should say.

"I was downstairs…talking to your mom…and Alice."

I walked over toward the bathroom. "So, I guess it's my turn to shower."

I closed the door and began to strip out of my clothes. Instead of a nap, I should have taken a bath or shower. I could instantly feel my body destress the moment I stepped in.

Edward walked in a moment later, and I was a little surprised at his brazen attitude. "What did my mom say?"

Was he so worried about the conversation I'd had downstairs that he didn't notice all this nakedness in all its glory?

"Wouldn't you like to know," I teased.

He sighed loudly and gave me a look. I decided to see just how focused Edward was. I shifted and walked toward the glass door and opened it, so he could get the full gander of my full Monty.

"Edward, can't you see how dirty I am? It'd be nice if someone could help me wash my hard-to-reach places."

I saw a fog come over her eyes, and his mouth opened slightly. It took a moment for his hamster wheel to start up, but then he dropped his towel, and like a mosquito drawn to the zapper of death, he came to me.

I handed him the loofah and turned around, so he could begin to wash my backside. I felt his body press up against mine, his rock-hard cock playing with my ass crack. He began with soft kisses along my neck, as his arms came around me, so the loofah I had given him could do its work to clean my chipper, hardening nipples.

I waited in anticipation, wondering how far he was going to allow us to go. We had said not until after the reunion, but maybe he'd had a change of heart. Plus, shower sex could help keep our groans and screams muffled from possible prying ears.

The loofah was traveling down, so I opened my legs to allow further access. The loofah made one...two passes, and then he dropped it, so he could dip his fingers into my wet center. Well...I'd imagine it was wet by more than just the shower water beating down upon us.

It felt so good, but I needed more. I turned around and smiled, because I was about to show him why this shower was far superior to his shower back at his space house. I grabbed a towel from off the shower door and placed it on the bench, before I guided Edward to sit on it. I looked down, and I had to say, the way his dick was standing at attention, it made me want to break a rule.

I straddled his lap and felt excited, as he not only allowed me to lower myself onto him, but he placed his hands on my hips and practically slammed me down on his cock. I groaned louder and louder, as I bounced up and down, my hands gripping around his neck, so I didn't slip.

"Bella," I heard him say, and I looked into his eyes, my face inches from his. "Please...I need more. Please," he begged.

I knew what he wanted. He wanted to break a rule.

I didn't know what possessed me to do it. Call it the heat of the moment or whatever the fuck, but I grabbed his face and roughly kissed him….and then I kept on kissing him.

Nope, still kissing. Oh, fuck me! Now, I knew why Julia told Richard Gere no kissing. It felt like we had gone from one-night stand to saying "I do" with one kiss. His lips were soft. His tongue tasted minty-fresh, and I felt how his cock grew the second my lips collided with his. This was what had been missing all along.

One of my new favorites was running my fingers through his wet hair, bringing my fingertips to tug at the ends. I continued to keep our lips together, while I resumed my upward motion. Suddenly, I felt my whole body moving, and I gasped, my lips leaving Edward's, as he stood up and expertly placed his arms under my butt, securing me to him and making sure my pussy remained occupied.

"Can we finish this in the bedroom?" Edward asked.

I sighed, feeling my drive begin to diminish.

Edward pulled out of me. I think he already knew how much his pause had caused a shift in my libido, so he quickly turned off the water and pulled me out of the shower.

"Edward…" I began to complain, "I don't know about this. I don't want your parents, or worse, your sister, to hear us."

Edward lay me down on the bed, and since we had never dried off, the bed was instantly wet. Thank god for rich-ass mansions and their enormous heating bill. However, wet sheets would be a nightmare later after we were finished.

"My parents are so far away from this room, they might as well be in the servants' quarters, and my sister isn't near here, either."

Edward was on top of me in seconds, pushing my legs apart with his own. He positioned himself and pushed back in. Pulling my legs up to allow himself deeper access, his lips found mine once more. It felt so good, I didn't care if the Pope himself was staying in the room next to us. I needed this orgasm!

He was pushing in and out of me, before his lips came off mine, and I saw his eyes lock with my own. There was something there, but I was not sure.

"No place I'd rather be," he whispered.

PAUSE.

 _We interrupt the regularly scheduled program to bring you this important message from the future:_

 _It was this precise moment that would cause a fight between Edward and myself later on. He seemed to think this was love-making, and that by him stating, "No place I'd rather be," he was letting me know we were making love. However, I had explained to him in great detail that it took two people to decide when lovemaking occurred. I'd swear! Virgins!_

 _Don't get me wrong. It had been fuck-awesome sex, and just because I had broken a rule, it didn't mean I had suddenly been in a love-making mindset. I had told him two people had to be in love before successful love-making could occur. He might have made the mental journey before me, but he'd had to wait for me to catch up._

 _To be perfectly honest, the first time we had made love was the night of the reunion, after he had told me the truth of how I had come to be at The Cullen Conglomerate. Thinking back on it, that was when I had truly fallen for Edward Cullen, even if I couldn't admit it to myself. However, I wasn't about to tell him that. Why split hairs over a couple of hours? Plus, he had always thought he was so smart. Like he knew me better than I knew myself. Even if that were true in this instance, I was so not about to admit it. I had told him the first time we had made love was after the amazing Christmas gift he had given me. He hadn't believed me, and I think he was offended at me for not coming clean. Besides, it wasn't exactly like he had been Mr. Honesty._

 _Now, back to our regularly scheduled program…_

UNPAUSE.

"FUCK!"

I think I screamed loud enough that even the servants' quarters heard, but my god! After dancing around sex for weeks, it was finally time. Edward kept me in a stiff, awkward position, punishing my favorite orifice repeatedly, until he finally joined me in post-coital bliss.

If I hadn't been confused before on our "relationship," then this event certainly didn't clear it up. Thankfully, Edward did me the courtesy of letting me pass out good and proper, without giving me the third degree.

I didn't even get dressed or cover up, but somehow, the next morning, there I was, lying naked in his arms, completely covered by soft, warm blankets. I opened my eyes to find out that I was, indeed, the little spoon.

Ah, crap! I'd never gotten up after he had cum and dismissed his useless swimmers. Great! Thank god for birth control. No telling what would have happened, if I had let those babies cook overnight in a heated oven.

Groaning, my feet found their way into the bathroom to free all the Willy's. I finished up with the shower I had never quite completed the night before and was back in the bedroom a little after nine, surprised to see Edward was still asleep. Something told me he was usually an early riser, so I thought perhaps I should check his pulse.

I stepped forward tentatively, but he moved, and I saw him wake up before my very eyes. He looked concerned, until he spotted me standing over him, and then he melted back into the sheets with a slow smile. His coppery brown locks were in disarray, probably from my new hair pulling obsession.

"Morning," his sleepy voice declared.

"Do you think I can get something to eat around here? I'm a little hungry, and candy only works after noon."

He groaned and sat up. "I'm sure my mother will have made breakfast. It's a tradition in our home on Saturday mornings. Let me get dressed, and I'll accompany you downstairs."

While he was taking his sweet time to primp and pamper himself into a decent outfit, I took the time to peruse his personal belongings. His wall of accomplishments, however, made me very depressed, so I stopped myself from looking any further. Edward was completely my opposite in every way. If there was an academic achievement to be had, he always came in first. My greatest high school contribution was not ending up on some reality program for pregnant teenagers. His wall was the truth staring me right in the face. An Edward Cullen did not belong with a Bella Swan. And absolutely _NOT_ this Bella Swan.

"Are you ready?"

I shook my head to free up my mind from the self-pity farewell tour and plastered a fake smile onto my face. Hey, fake it till you make it.

We walked toward the door, but I stopped him before he opened it. "Just so you know, pity sex is set for after the reunion."

I flipped around and headed out.

What? Just because I wasn't going to end up with an Edward Cullen, it didn't mean I couldn't enjoy the perks of my position within his company for the moment.

In true, perfect, billionaire-wife fashion, Esme had set the table beautifully for breakfast. I saw waffles, pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs done two different ways, and what I could only assume was a basket of baked goods that were not store-bought. Yes, this table told me everything I needed to know about my future with Edward Cullen, or lack thereof.

Edward pulled out my chair, and I sat down heavily, feeling even more depressed. He could see the change in my mood and wanted to ask me about it, but we were stopped with the interruption of who I could only assume was the patriarch of the Cullen clan.

"You must be Bella. I've heard so much. I'm Carlisle."

I stood up immediately to take his hand. "Mr. Cullen, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Well, I could definitely see why Edward was the epitome of perfection when it came to the looks department. I didn't know why, but for a brief scandalous second, I couldn't stop myself from wondering if Edward took after his dad in every way. I know! Just rethinking about this caused my face to go red all over again. Damn me and my head in the sex cloud.

"Like I said, please, call me Carlisle. The pleasure is all mine, I can assure you."

I took my seat once again, and Esme walked in with another platter. This one was filled with fresh fruits, all delicately and perfectly sliced. After we said our good mornings and were all seated, I wondered where the sister was. I didn't have to wonder too long. Like Edward was a freaking mind reader, he asked for me.

"Mom, where's Alice?"

Esme looked down and placed a couple of strands of hair behind her ear. "Actually, I wanted to speak with you, sweetheart, before she came down. I wanted to give you a heads up."

That sounded ominous.

"Edward…she brought someone home with her. I want you to be respectful."

Her tone was warm, but it was a warning as well. I could see why. At her words, Edward had straightened up and gone rigid.

"Who? Is it serious?"

Alice popped into the room just then, pulling along a taller, thinner guy with her who seemed about as shy as they came. He was the complete opposite of the Alice I had come to know.

"Good morning. Edward, I want to introduce you to Jasper."

Edward looked Jasper over like he was fresh meat he was planning on paying someone to roast at his next luau. Jasper, knowing his manners, came over to shake Edward's hand, and after a few seconds, Edward extended him the honor to touch him. Where was the hand sanitizer when you needed it?

I could see Alice was nervous. Even though she was the older sibling, it still meant a great deal to her for her successful brother to give his blessing. Talk about the most awkward breakfast ever! I mean, I should have shimmied down the trellis and walked the distance to the nearest McDonalds.

Edward began to fire off questions at Jasper in a way that made Alice look like a mute when we had first met.

"Edward!" Alice finally snapped. "Maybe you wouldn't mind holding off until we've had a chance to digest."

"I was merely curious. I think knowing a person's ambitions can give me an idea of the man who's sitting in front of me. Besides, where did you meet this guy, Alice? Did you even do a background check on him? I can have Emmett…"

"WHAT? NO!" she screamed. "Of course not. I love Jasper, and I'm sorry if he doesn't meet your standards, but you're not the one marrying him, so back off!"

"Alice," Esme sighed.

"Edward," Carlisle warned.

"Marrying? Did you give them permission?" Edward spat at his father.

I finally took matters into my own hands, and before Mr. Cullen could remark, I elbowed Edward in the ribs super hard.

He jumped back and looked at me in shock.

"My apologies. We were set to do a system reboot to include the new sensitivity software. Looks like maybe Edward needs the upgrade now," I said through my teeth, while kicking him hard under the table.

Alice looked close to tears, and Jasper…poor Jasper looked like a deer in the headlights of Edward's Batmobile.

"Would you excuse us for a moment?" I said and stood, dropping my napkin on the table. I pulled Edward up and along with me until we reached the living room, two rooms away from the breakfast room.

"Bella!" Edward snapped.

"Edward! What's the matter with you? Alice has found someone who makes her happy, and he doesn't look like a serial killer or a Bieber, so maybe you should back off and get to know the guy, before you hire some assassin to take him out!"

I had never seen him so angry before, and he had dealt with me for the past three weeks, which was saying something.

"He could be using her. He isn't good enough for Alice, and until I have him checked out, I don't trust him, and he sure shouldn't be sitting down to dine with us till that happens!" he spat.

I laughed. "Edward, are you serious?" I shook my head. "I'm pretty sure, out of the Kennedy table in there, if there was anyone who'd be roshamboed off the island, it'd be me. Maybe you should think about that! Your sister…she maybe intrusive, but she never made me feel like crap, not like what you just did to Jasper in there."

Edward's anger ceased immediately, and he pulled back to pause. "What do you mean?"

I didn't reply.

"Bella!"

I let out a soft breath. "Everyone in this house is accomplished. Hell, your mother could tell Martha Stewart to hang it up. Your sister has been living off in France, doing god knows what, but I'm sure it's impressive. Your father…well, I don't even have to go there, and you…you're by far the most impressive person of all. Why do you think I know this won't work between us? I'm a high school dropout with no ambition. Everything you said to Jasper in there, you should be saying to me. I have no idea how I ever passed your background check, because…it's so very clear I don't meet your expectations."

Edward took a step back, like I had wounded him with my words. I sighed and turned to find an exit. For some reason, I required some air.

"Bella," Edward wouldn't let me get far. "That isn't true at all. I can't believe you feel this way. Why didn't you say something? Is this the reason why you're so hesitant about beginning a relationship with me?"

I bit my lip and shrugged. "Look, I need some fresh air, and you need to make this right with your sister. But…if you can't find it in your heart to see past all of Jasper's supposed shortcomings, then you should ask yourself if it's time to find yourself a new assistant, one who's not _uniquely_ qualified, but truly qualified."

I wasn't trying to be dramatic. Honestly, I just wanted Edward to make right with his family. I didn't want him to go another six years before coming home like the prodigal son. Plus, I felt my questions were valid. It was time for Edward to clear the fog of his virginity and really see who was standing before him. He needed to realize what his choices were and choose wisely. He could still find the perfect, someday-wife of a billionaire, who could measure up and would jump at the chance to spawn, or he could settle for someone like me. The lowly, uneducated assistant, whose biggest accomplishment included downing a pint of Chunky Monkey in less than ten minutes.

In the end, it didn't matter what I wanted. I guessed that was the problem all along. I kept thinking this was a decision I had to make. It wasn't. It was a realization Edward should come to for himself. And when he finally opened his damned eyes, he would finally see I was not the girl of his dreams.

* * *

 **AN: Always a big thank you for reading and reviewing!**

 **Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for taking her time and doing a beautiful job editing this.**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

It took coming to Oregon by way of Seattle to remind me of the things I missed about Forks. Sure, the place was an outdated shithole, whose entire population added up to the total of The Bachelor rejects, but there were some things I could still appreciate about the only home I had ever known. The sounds Mother Nature would make had a way of calming even the sorest of tempers. I took deep breaths in to allow the fresh oxygen to erase everything on my mind. My favorite smell was how the rain mixed with the woods, and by my nose's calculation, it seemed a big storm was brewing. I never needed to listen to weather reports, my nose knew all.

My feet crunched onto the gravel off to the side of the Cullen Estate, as I headed towards the wooded area. I knew I shouldn't go far. Knowing Edward, he would deal with the sister and then hurry out to make sure I didn't make good on my threat to hitchhike back to Seattle.

I found an old tree that had fallen, the trunk a perfect fit to straddle myself upon. From here, I had a view of the forest to my right, and to my left, Versailles 2.0. Things were so much easier in the olden days of arranged marriages and dowries. At least, for someone like me, it would have been easier. No worries whether Mr. So-and-So was right for me. It would have already been predetermined by our parents, so no need to stress or fret. Of course, the sex could have been awful, and then I would have had no choice but to close my eyes and think of England.

"Bella."

I sighed and looked over, seeing the infamous green eyes I had come to know, and accompanying them was a face I knew all too well. Edward's worried face. Usually, it was one of his three. Edward's worried face. Edward's confused face. Edward's face of relief. Then, there was Edward's smile. The way he would look at me, when he was upset with me, but fighting it for my sake. The way his eyes would stare at me, as if he was attempting to read my mind, and worse, attempting to have me read his back. Oh, fuck! Why did I sound like some cheesy teem dramady?

"Is Alice okay?"

I looked down at my watch, because it didn't feel like I had been out here for that long, and yet, the time on my wrist displayed that nearly a half-hour had passed since I had left Edward.

"Alice is…fine."

"Why don't I believe you?" I replied.

He pulled his hands out of his pockets. "You can go and ask her yourself. Alice is exceptionally happy…now that I've agreed to pay for her honeymoon."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Did you at least apologize to Jasper before throwing a wad of money at your sister?"

Edward suppressed what I believed would have been a mischievous smile and came to sit down near me on the tree log.

"Bella, I'm appalled at your accusations. Of course, I apologized to the…man. I may have been brief. I guess you managed to put everything into perspective. After what you said, I was more worried about wanting to finish our conversation than about the person who'll be marrying my sister."

I looked down and began to pull at the bark lifting from the log. "You can't possibly believe that, somehow, I'm better than you."

I felt those beady green eyes attacking me, but I didn't dare look up. I hated feeling vulnerable, and Edward had a way of making me constantly question my entire being.

"That's just silly, Bella."

I didn't respond and kept my focus on the log.

"It's funny. I once had a principal who told me that, when he went to hire a person, he'd hire a 'C' or 'B' student over a straight 'A' student any day."

"What?" I shook my head. "Why?"

"He believed a person who had straight 'A's' wasn't used to knowing what it felt like to fail. When a person fails or has to work hard for their grades, they're able to cope and deal with the outside world far better than an academic. Which is completely true, if you look at someone like me versus someone like you."

He scooted closer down the log towards me.

"Bella, I gave you the daycare task, because I wanted you to see what I could see. You're very smart and talented, and you have a way with people I'm envious of. You have far more going for you than you even realize. And look at what you were able to accomplish? Not only with the daycare, but with seeing a problem and suggesting an easy, cost-effective solution. You did your homework and presented the idea to me in a way with facts and information I couldn't ignore."

I nibbled on my lip before looking up at him. "I thought you only did it because I was the shag-of-the-month-club winner."

I saw his green eyes go dark, and a look came over him that was far worse than what I had witnessed at breakfast with Jasper the Invader. A look that was different than the fifty or so I had mentioned knowing before.

 _It was a look that scared me, just like the one I would receive in the future, when I would go against his wishes and defy him by showing up and meeting with the assholes who would eventually hold us hostage. Ah, good times._

"I'm only going to say this one more time," he spoke so low that, had we been any other place, I might not have heard him. "I'm not paying you for sex. You're not a slut, a whore, or a loser I only fuck on occasion. You mean so much more than I can even say. And that's only because, if I did share my true feelings with you, I'm sure you'd only tell me I was wrong, or worse, leave me for my honesty. So, if I buy you something, it's because I want to give you something nice. If I compliment you, it because I mean it! Having sex with you is wonderful, and I can't imagine any greater feeling but one…but it's not why I seek your company. Understand?"

Understand? Did I? I didn't know. That was a whole lot to take in. I'd already lied enough to the poor guy, so instead, I didn't move an inch and sat there like a bump on a log…literally.

"I'd like to take you on a date."

I felt the tension in my body deflate. "I know. I know," I said.

"Now."

"What?"

Shit!

"I have everything set up, and you agreed…"

Back to not moving an inch.

"But…the reunion…" I said, making the very best excuse.

"Not till tonight. This will only take a couple of hours."

He was determined. I could see his whole body confident, and when it looked like that, I knew he wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Don't you think you should spend some time with your family? I mean…we can go out whenever. You haven't been home in so long, and I'm sure they want to spend as much time with you as they can. Alice flew in for this, toting along your new future bro-in-law."

He stood up from the log, and I saw him looking over his hands, trying to wipe the dirt off his palms. I wondered if he had brought a pocket sanitizer with him. I did notice he didn't seem to mind germs as much since we had arrived.

"Come on." He lifted me off the log and took my hand. If I'd had any sense, I would have licked my palm before he took it to see if he was mysteriously cured.

Instead of carting me back to the house, he turned down a path, going around the back of the large mansion. Maybe we were going to do it in the servants' quarters.

"I know you haven't dated very much, so I thought I should catch you up on up-to-date procedures," I began to babble. "Like, for instance, it isn't customary to get flowers or chocolate for your date anymore. That's old fashioned thinking. It's not considered taboo to split the bill, FYI. There's also this thing called the One-Date Rule, which I'm sure you'll be very happy to hear is no longer the Three-Date Rule, popularized by Charlotte, just in case…"

Edward stopped and turned to me. "No sex on this date. I think you can wait a few hours until tonight." He turned back around and continued to hike the trail while I stewed.

I hadn't even told him what the One-Date Rule was. How the hell did he know?

"Better be food where we're going. I could've brought a snack, if I knew we'd be spending our first date exercising," I grumbled

We seemed to walk forever into the woods. I couldn't even see the house or anything around us, just trees upon trees. However, the minute I saw a clearing, I also saw what Edward's intentions were.

"What is that?" I remarked, looking up at the biggest screen of my life.

"Like it?" Edward smiled.

"Uh…I'm still not quite sure what's going on. You do know it's a little bright out here. I don't know if this will work…"

In the clearing was a giant screen. I took in the whole picture and saw two honest-to-god theatre seats. The really good kind that reclined and everything.

"Not with this screen. It's a brand-new technology we developed to give a bigger, better picture, even during the day. It's more flexible, easier to put up and take down, and cheaper than anything else ever before. It'll open up a whole new world to arenas, etcetera."

I laughed and slapped him on the back. "Need a cigar over there? You're speaking like a proud papa!"

Edward turned to me, and I could see his excitement turn to apprehension. I didn't want him to think I was crapping all over his date idea, so I quickly placed a hand on his back and rubbed those small, soft circles I had learned from Esme.

"I love it. It's very impressive. However, I will not go Dutch on the cost of this."

"I thought…for our first date, I'd take you to a movie. The weather cleared up, and I have blankets. This could be your chance to educate me. Pick a movie. Any movie you want me to see, and we 'll watch it."

"Any movie?" I asked.

Edward handed me a phone, and on it was a long list of titles. My God! I was like a kid in a candy store, about to give a Martian their first taste of heaven. What could I possibly show Edward?

"Any movie?" I asked again, and he nodded. "If it's boring or not in your wheelhouse, you'll watch it without trying to find the nearest exit or make up some irritable bowel syndrome excuse?"

Edward cleared his throat. "I'm on first-date conduct. I doubt my bowels will come up."

We walked forward, while I perused the list. Every single film to have ever graced my eyes was now fast forwarding in my brain. I was only on the "A's" still, and I could sit here all-day debating, so I chose something completely random and yet not so random.

"Okay, I have a movie. It's a little corny, but it reminds me of you," I said.

I handed him back the phone with the desired title.

"Annie?" he asked.

"The original. Please, for the love of God, if you ever find yourself actually firing up your Netflix, always watch originals. Remakes are never as good, and with you, you should only watch the best, since you, like, never take time out for entertainment."

I began to walk towards the seats. Man, oh man! A movie theater in a forest and one sexy man all to myself. The things we could do. It reminded me of the time I had gone out with that loser, Mike, and we had gone to the rerun theatre in Port Angeles and watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I might or might not have licked his Twizzler. What? Candy made me horny.

Somehow, I doubted Edward would want to hear that little antidote. Besides, if he was on his best first date behavior, I guessed it meant I should be on my best first date behavior as well.

I picked up the blanket and settled myself into one of the soft leather chairs that were the perfect distance from the screen.

"How in the world did you manage all this?" I asked.

"It's always a good idea to carry extra cash," he replied.

I rolled my eyes.

"One thing is missing, however. You can't watch a movie without popcorn and candy."

He pulled out his phone once more and handed it back to me.

"Go ahead. Order whatever you'd like."

I gave him a questioning glance before looking down. Every kind of sugar-filled treat one could desire at a movie theatre was listed. I almost want to tag them all, just to see if he would make it happen. But this was Edward we were talking about. Knowing him, he would have flown in Swiss chocolate given the chance.

I tapped away at the phone, as the movie credits began. Edward pulled his blanket over the top of him and settled himself in. I handed him the phone back, and I was surprised, when he didn't mark anything off for himself.

"Are you really not going to get something? You'll make me feel like a ginormous pig eating all by myself. Not a great way to make a date feel on a first. FYI."

"Are you really not going to share with me? I know you, Bella. I'm sure you ordered enough for a whole theater of people."

I scowled. "Are you really trying to make me feel self-conscious on a first date? I didn't have you pegged for the kind of guy who thought he could get lucky by insulting the girl to make her easy. I'm a sure thing. I'm sure you've figured that out by now."

"Bella," Edward paused the movie with his phone and turned to me. "Are you really going to talk throughout the whole movie?"

I scoffed and settled back in my chair. "Not like the guy in the back is going to say something," I griped.

Two minutes into the opening credits, when suddenly, an older gentleman appeared carrying a large tray. It caught me completely off guard, but sure enough, there was everything I wanted. A large blue Icee. Raisinets, and large, extra-butter popcorn, with Sour Patch Kids on the side.

Okay, yeah…so, that was pretty freakin awesome. Points to Edward Cullen. For that, he could share my popcorn.

I placed the popcorn in the middle and sat back to watch the movie.

I had already seen this movie a thousand times, so my interest turned to my date. Edward was such a virgin. He actually wanted to watch the movie. I noticed his focus completely on the screen, never once looking at me or trying the old armrest trick. Even when he would go for popcorn, he coordinated it so that our hands would never meet. It made me wonder if he was still germaphobing out and didn't want to touch my chocolaty, buttery hands.

I decided to see how far I could go. Baby steps, though. First, I pulled up the armrest between us and lifted his arm and snuggled into his side. Never a comfortable position, but my comfort wasn't the point. I could feel his body stiffen, and his hand felt like a lead weight around my stomach. I placed my hand on his chest and pretended to watch the movie. It took about five minutes of feeling like a mannequin was holding me for him to relax enough.

Once he was through phase one, I went to phase two. I glanced up through my eyelashes and placed my hand on his upper thigh. Instantly, he froze once again. He looked down and caught me, so I pulled up and strained to reach his face with mine.

"Bella, I told you, no sex!"

I laughed softly. "This isn't sex. We have too many clothes on, and besides, I don't fancy showing Jeeves my lady bits, wherever you might've stashed him. But haven't you ever heard of a little movie make-out?"

He sighed. "Bella, I thought you wanted me to watch this movie?"

"And I thought you wanted to kiss me," I replied quickly.

I saw his eyes look towards the screen for a brief second, before his tongue danced shyly on his lips. Before he could think too long and hard, I pressed my lips against his, but I knew who my customer was, so I went in gently and waited for him to give me permission for more. It didn't take long for him to surrender to my wicked ways. Like Annie said, "I think I'm going to like it here!"

The movie I had picked was much too short. I should have picked Schindler's List or Titanic. But, as all good make-out sessions must come to an end, we were forced to unseal our faces, as the credits began to roll. I didn't even realize how cold the weather had turned, until we were walking down the path back to the house. I guessed the blankets Edward had provided were well insulated.

Now came the awkward end of the date part. The dance between two people at the threshold, trying to gauge whether a good-bye kiss or a one-night shag was warranted. The only problem was, we were staying in the same room. How awkward was this going to be? Plus, he had already made it clear there would be no sex until pity sex.

Edward opened the front door for me, and I scrambled to find the best cheesy line I could give him. Hmm…I had a nice time? Thanks for the date? Maybe we could do this again sometime?

"There you are! Perfect timing. I have your dress in my room. I thought maybe you wouldn't mind a little girl time while getting ready. I can even help you do your hair and makeup."

Alice was waiting for us at the entrance. I didn't even get to say my cheesy line. I looked over to Edward, who seemed to be expecting my fare-thee-well.

"Uh…sure. I'll see you up there, Alice," I tried to get her to depart. The least I owed Edward was a thank you for everything he had done.

"But you don't even know where my room is," Alice complained.

I sighed and looked directly at her, hoping to convey my hidden meaning. "Second star to the right and straight on till morning."

Tinkerbell looked confused.

"I'm sure I can figure it out. I'll be right up."

Alice began to climb the steps slowly, probably still attempting to figure out what I had said. I looked back to Edward, who seemed slightly relaxed. I walked slowly over to him, but I suddenly felt very shy. Why was I stealing his moves?

It was a great date. I'd give him that. He had put thought and imagination into it. He had made this girl feel special. It had been perfect in every way as far as first dates went. This kind of thing in the past would have warranted a one-nightstand, at the very least, but for some reason, I was suddenly glad Edward had said we wouldn't have sex at the end of our date. I felt the anticipation building for that evening. I wanted to show Edward how much I cared that he had gone to so much trouble for a girl like me.

"Thank you," I said sincerely. "It was a really great date."

Instead of saying something snarky, I wanted to leave him with genuine gratitude. I saw his shoulders move, as he breathed a sigh of relief. He gave me that soft, crooked smile I had come to love.

I meant like!

I had come to like and depend on that soft, crooked smile.

Instead of giving him an end-of-date kiss, I turned around and walked up the stairs. I began to think about Edward. I mean really think about him. All the things I liked. I liked that crooked smile. I liked the way his eyes would widen, and imaginary steam would come out of his nostrils, right before he would get upset…especially with me. I liked the way he smelled. God help me, I think I liked that the most, like when I had woken up and found his body tangled with mine that morning. I liked how smart he was. The kind of intelligence that made a person feel smarter just by being in their proximity. And I liked that, for some odd reason, he seemed to like me, too.

I wandered around like a drunkard, not really trying to find Alice's room, but somehow, I did just fine. Well, that and she popped out her door just as I passed and told me I was going the wrong way.

"Hey, lover girl. Over here!"

I instantly shook the fog from my head. "I'm not in love. I'm just…tired," I attempted to explain.

"Uh huh. Tired? Hmm? From what, exactly?"

I felt my face turn red, as I slipped past her towards my dress hanging up.

"By the way, I love the dress. It's so classic. Edward is going to flip when he sees you. I already made sure he brought the Armani with his red tie, so you two will go perfectly with one another."

I used Alice's shower, and thankfully, she didn't insist on coming with me, so I could get a peaceful moment to myself. I already had enough people up top telling me how I felt or what I should do, I didn't need all of Alice's voices weighing in.

For a brief moment today, I was able to forget about everything and focus on Edward. However, all the worries began to slowly creep back up. Once again, I was faced with a horrible truth. I couldn't start a relationship with Edward, not when I had been lying to him, betraying him, and worst of all, I couldn't find the lady balls to come clean to him. I had to come clean. Like the shower washing away my filth, I needed to come clean and tell Edward what I had done. I had to figure out a way to keep Rosalie safe first, and then I could come clean.

Sure, I could take my chances and tell Edward what I had done. He would be so mad. So, _so_ mad, and I couldn't blame him, but it would do nothing for Rosalie's safety. I doubted I could sit him down and say, " _I have something to tell you, but before I do, I need you to put triple security on Rosalie Hale, and I need that in writing. Preferably in triplicate."_

I heard a knock on the door, pulling me mentally away from future Bella's problems.

"Hey, water hog! You know, we only have two more hours. You might think about getting out, if you don't want to go with the wet hair look, which, by the way, should totally be retired."

I turned off the water with a sigh and began to dry off, so she wouldn't come in after me. Only one Cullen would be seeing me naked today, and I wasn't about to waste this body on her.

I knew Alice was going to pump me for information on Edward, so what did one do when faced with this situation? Deflect.

"Have you started planning the wedding?"

There! That should hold her for two hours.

I found I didn't have to pay too close attention to the details Alice was spewing, as long as I said, "Totally," occasionally, or "Oh, my god, that'd be amazing." One thing was for sure, Alice could have enough wedding for the both of us. Squeezing my ass into one of the most unflattering colors and tightrope walking myself down an aisle in heels did not exactly star in any dreams I'd ever had. I was _so_ not the marrying type.

"I can't wait. It's going to be perfect. I've been looking forward to this day my whole life, and now, I get to have my dream wedding!" she gushed. "Don't worry, I'll make sure your wedding is magical, too!"

I shook my head, as I woke up for the first time in over an hour.

"What wedding?" I nearly lashed out.

Alice put down the curling iron. "Well…I mean, I know he hasn't proposed, but my brother is known for sealing the deal. I'm sure it's just a matter of time."

I could feel my heart begin to race and palms twitch with sweat. I stood, and my pink silk robe Alice had let me borrow slightly came undone. I wrestled with the ties while I paced.

"He didn't say anything. I mean…we just started dating. What idiot would ever want to marry me? Oh, fuck! Oh, fuck! This is what you get for screwing a virgin."

Alice looked like she wished she had never put down the curling iron. "Edward was a virgin?" she asked softly.

Oh, crap!

FUCK!

"Uh…maybe? Hard to tell with guys. Not like they have any physical evidence. He could've been lying…"

She shook her head. "No, he'd never lie about that."

I stood there, wishing my talent was melting into the floor, so I could make a fast getaway. Alice, however, gave me a warm smile and walked over and hugged me. So, I guessed it had been a public service after all.

She pulled back and said, "Don't worry about the wedding. When it happens, you know I'm here."

Um…okay, but the whole point was for it not to happen. Didn't she understand that? I didn't want a wedding! Not every little girl grew up with a veil strapped to her head the second she watched Cinderella.

And then it hit me. A scary thought to some, I would imagine, but for me, a comfort. Edward would never want to marry me, not once I told him what I had done. No Swan-Cullen wedding to worry about here. An upside at the end of the truth-telling rainbow.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing.**

 **Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for taking the time to edit this to perfection!**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

As soon as I was up to Alice's standards, she ran off to see if Edward was ready for me to make my grand entrance. The plan was to have Edward meet me at the bottom of the stairs. A romantic notion for someone like Alice, but she didn't know of my dreary past in high heels. She was expecting Belle coming down to meet the Beast, or Jack, when he saw Rose all gussied up and standing by the clock. Well, I guessed in this instance, I would probably be the Jack.

I gazed into the tall, standing mirror in Alice's bedroom, and I knew I looked hot. I felt hot. For an event like a high school reunion, I felt confident with my overall appearance. My heart began to beat more quickly. I wanted Edward to think I was hot. To be proud to have me on his arm, even if it was for only one night. That was when my nerves really kicked in.

"He's ready," Alice sang. "Oh, and I talked the parents out of taking pictures, but they do want to see you off, so they're waiting in the kitchen near the covered drive. It's pouring cats and dogs outside. I didn't want you to get your pretty dress all wet, but once you get there, be sure to have Edward escort you in under his umbrella that I put in the back. He hired a limo for the night, so it'll be just like prom!"

I groaned. Great, now I was "Animal Cookies on Parade." Parents watching. Oh, man, I was one corsage away from pulling a Carrie.

"Here's your purse, and an extra spritz for good luck," Alice said, spraying me nearly in the face with some fancy perfume. "Okay, I think you know the way. Have fun!"

I took a deep breath and began the walk. I turned back to her and gave her an honest, "Thank you."

I faltered only once in the heels, but to be fair, they were the highest heels I had ever worn. _Please, dear God, please, let there not be a revolving door at this place._

I stood at the top of the stairs and saw Edward. I knew I might have been a little rough with him on his appreciation for suits, but the one he had on now looked so good, I might tell him to wear it to bed. I was going to the reunion with James Bond!

He didn't notice me. Edward seemed to be going over something in his head. I couldn't stop myself from watching him and daring to dream. He finally took notice, and once again, my nerves returned ten-fold. My natural inclination was to bite a nail, but Alice had told me that, if I ruined her manicure, she would make my life a living hell. I didn't want to cross Alice. Even though she seemed to have a different opinion of hell than me, somehow, I was sure she would find out the very best way to torture me.

I pressed my lips together, suddenly feeling shy. I placed my hand on the rail and began to descend slowly. I wasn't trying to give Edward the "slo-mo" cliché shot, but why risk flying down the stairs face first, because I didn't take care and watch my heels on the steep staircase?

"You look amazing, Bella. I've never seen anything more beautiful in my life," Edward said, when I was nearing my descent.

I bit my lip even harder at the compliment and averted my eyes for a brief second. "I could almost be mistaken for a lady," I quipped. "You do clean up nicely yourself, Mr. Cullen. Finally, a suit to end all suits."

He gave me a shy smile, before turning towards the small writing desk beside him.

"I have something for you," he said, pulling out a square box.

"Oh, my god, Edward, you didn't," I grimaced.

"I did, and once again, may I remind you, I don't take kindly to any implications that what's in this box is any form of currency for services rendered. So, be nice and accept it."

I sighed and waited, as he opened the box. Nestled inside was a very pricy white gold chain with a sparkling diamond pendant. To think I would be wearing something that probably cost about as much as a McDonald's franchise was daunting. I let go of the breath I was holding and tentatively put my fingers out to touch it. Edward snapped the box shut playfully down on my fingers, and I jumped back in shock.

"Sorry, Alice told me to do it. She said you'd get the reference."

I giggled, and he opened the box once more.

"I love your sister!" I said with a shake of my head. Okay, so, the sister wasn't _all_ bad.

Edward was thoroughly embarrassed by the to-do his parents made, as we attempted to make it to the car. It took the pressure off me in a way to see him so focused on his parents cooing, as we attempted to make our getaway. Esme was saying something about how she had never had this opportunity when he was in school. I was thankful Carlisle didn't feel the need to sit Edward down and explain the "birds and the bees" to him, even if a refresher course couldn't hurt.

"My apologies for them. I'll be sure to have my lawyer draw up emancipation papers the moment we arrive back in Seattle."

Flustered at his parents' embarrassing reactions, I saw him look around the car, as if he was a sixteen-year-old boy getting ready to experience his first big boy dance. Being back in the limo was an unpleasant reminder of my time with the assholes who were after me to ruin Edward. I wanted to try and shake the images from my mind, but it was impossible.

The driver pulled out from under the overhang, and the car was immediately pelted with the downpour. I wondered how the screen in the clearing was weathering the deluge. Flashes of lightning were brightening up the entire sky. The sound of the rain was deafening, as we both sat awkwardly in the back of the stretch limo. I saw a bottle of champagne, and I wished I had the courage to move and pour a glass, but any movement on my part that would lead to heavy drinking might lead to untimely confessions.

"So…this school…I'm guessing you and Alice went private?"

I saw Edward relax ever so slightly and nod. I searched my brain for any witty comment to help loosen us up, but nothing came. I was Gilmore Girls without Amy Sherman-Palladino. The script was forced and should never have been put out for consumption.

"Thank you, Bella."

I looked over and saw his eyes trained on my face. My face which held more questions than even he usually displayed.

"For coming with me tonight. I would've never faced this without you. I really appreciate it."

I bit my lip, but I took caution that I didn't ruin my lipstick, or worse, have my white teeth turn red. An embarrassing way to be introduced to this high society school I was about to descend upon.

"I had a really good time…if I forget to say it later."

God, I sounded like every rom-com movie I had ever watched. _Come on, Swan! You may not be very bright, but you don't have to be a walking cliché. It's times like these you should just shut up and open up._

It only took ten minutes to get to our destination. The school looked like something out of Dead Poets Society. I saw cobblestone and groaned inwardly. Damn the rich and their need to pave every affluent pathway with heel killers. I hoped Edward didn't get the wrong idea, when I hung onto his arm until we made it inside.

We had never discussed how we would play this. People usually brought along husbands, wives or serious significant others. In some cases, one might hire a person for the night, but I had a feeling if I brought that up with Edward, he would probably get mad at me for the implication. Still, once again, I was left wondering what I should tell people if they asked. In Edward's case, I was sure someone would ask. The billionaire showing up wasn't something many would glance over.

A table was set up outside of a large multi-purpose room. Inside, I could already see the school colors well-represented with balloons and streamers. The music was a little too much pop for my taste. I could already tell from the looks of things that I was indeed walking into a school of the rich and fabulous. Edward would be right at home, but I would need to be on my best behavior and remember not to talk with my mouth full or have the embarrassing faux pas of not having my latest stock portfolio numbers at the ready.

"Welcome, Edward Cullen."

Not even in the door, and already, Edward had been spotted by the older woman sitting at the entrance table.

"Mrs. Cope, it's been far too long. How do you do?"

How do you do?

I stopped myself from giving Edward a look. He reached out to give the older woman a hug, as she slowly rose out of her chair. I was hoping she was a former teacher and not some Mrs. Robinson I should feel threatened by.

"Mrs. Cope, I'd like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Isabella Swan. Isabella, this is Mrs. Cope. She was my English professor when I attended Providence."

Girlfriend?

So, maybe we should have spoken about this in the car after all. We had only gone on one date, did Edward think we were _together,_ together now? I felt my skin flush, but I did my best not to look fazed by Edward's introduction.

The next couple of minutes were a blur, as Edward directed me into a dark room with a disco ball spinning around. I saw a bar and headed straight for it. My kind of party.

"Bella, is something the matter?"

Where to begin? But this was Edward's night. We couldn't have this discussion now. I just needed to patient and let him go about his business, introducing me however he saw fit. Perhaps he'd amend his statement later, when we were back on neutral ground. I grabbed a glass of wine and turned back to him.

"No, I just…felt parched."

I took a long swig of my wine and saw Edward's eyes questioning me, but thankfully, he dropped it for the time being. I saw his eyes wander, and I caught his gaze, as it landed on a leggy blonde in a skin-tight cheetah print dress.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"Farrin Sparks. She was the most popular girl in school. Alice said she's just gotten divorced," he whispered.

I looked her over, and she was perfect for Edward. The thought filled me with rage.

"You should go and talk with her. I'm sure she'd love to catch up," I said through a fake smile.

Edward scoffed. "I doubt that. She never said one word to me while we were in school, so if we were going to catch up, we'd have to begin when I was a freshman, when she transferred in and forgot to let me welcome her properly."

I saw this Farrin catch sight us, and she immediately lit up at the sight of Edward standing awkwardly by the wine table. As if the call of Armani was in the air, Farrin was drawn to Edward's cash couture scent.

"Edward Cullen? Is that you? I haven't seen you since graduation!" the blonde girl squealed, alerting the whole room of Edward's entrance. I looked around and saw all girls beginning to drool and guys starting to whisper. Farrin threw herself into my boyfriend's arms and lingered.

"Good evening, Miss Sparks." Edward was respectful as always.

"Miss Sparks," Farrin giggled. "I haven't been called that in so long. It's nice. I don't know if you heard, but Chad and I separated last summer, and well…the divorce was just finalized. You know how much can change in ten years. I mean, look at you! Clear skin and muscles, a successful career, and a great businessman…but still single. How did you manage that?"

I sighed and began to walk off to find my own form of entertainment. I didn't need to witness the obvious flirtation, when I had my own reunion to get to. I headed over to the bar and asked for a Jack and Coke. This wine was not going to cut it for a night like this.

After gaining my necessary drink, I sat down at a high table and munched on some peanuts, while I witnessed the Love Connection happening before my very eyes. Oh, and Farrin was not the only prep school princess on the prowl. After I left, Edward was suddenly inundated with potential desperate housewives. It only took one reunion to find a suitable stable of viable vessels.

 _Have fun, ladies. But I get to go home with him tonight_ , I thought audaciously. However, as time passed, I saw Edward opening up and blossoming right before my eyes into the man I knew he would become, if he would have done the decent thing and moved on after his virgin voyage. He seemed to be smiling a lot. The smile he would give to me was now being used on the many women who flocked around like hungry seagulls, waiting and sniping for breadcrumbs. He would still choose to go home with me, though, right?

"Okay, I definitely would've remembered you if you'd gone to school with me."

I looked to my left and saw some greaseball in a dark suit slithering up to my table with a matching drink in hand.

"Funny thing is, I did go to this school, and yet, you failed to remember me. But I remember you, James Rotman," I said, reading off his name tag. "It seems you haven't changed a bit. You're still the same slimy guy, trying to get into the pants of every girl here. I'd say it was a pleasure seeing you again, but why lie, when I know you'll probably be back here again, attempting to hit on me in another ten years."

I saw him about to say something more, but he was interrupted by my date, who suddenly remembered he _had_ a date.

"James. I'd appreciate it if you didn't leer at my date like she's dessert."

I saw the change in Edward. He seemed to be nearly as upset as I was.

"Little Edward Cullen. Well, the little dweeb is all grown up and ready to fight his own battles? Where's a little girl with a gun to the rescue when you need one?" James mocked.

Edward stepped between James and me, towering over the blond asshole, until he backed down. This must have been one of Edward's tormentors. I briefly wondered what James was referring to, but it must have been an inside joke.

Edward turned back to me. "Where have you been?" he asked accusatorially. "I looked around, and like a puff a smoke, you were gone."

I shrugged and looked down at my near-empty glass. "I thought I'd give you a moment to…reconnect. Didn't want to stand in your way."

Edward laughed humorlessly. "You thought I'd fall for their tricks? Do you really believe me to be that naive?"

I didn't respond.

"Come on, let's get out of here. I've seen enough and reconnected far more than I ever wanted to. I don't wish to waste my night with the likes of these people. I didn't care for them back when I attended this school, and nothing has changed in ten years."

Edward took my hand, and I felt a flutter in my chest. He did want to go home with me. I felt the need to suppress my smile, as we walked out and left behind some sorely disappointed debutants. The limo driver was waiting, as we ran to the car. Edward had an umbrella in one hand and a firm grasp on my hand in the other, as we attempted to dodge the tumultuous downpour.

The moment we were in the car, I made fast work of my date. Surprising Edward greatly, I got down on my knees in front of him and quickly unzipped his pants. I wasn't planning on breaking the rules, but after the fuss made, my whistle was wet and ready to play a tune.

"Bella," I heard him begin to protest.

The driver pulled out, and I knew we only had ten or so minutes. I pulled up my dress and straddled Edward, and then I assaulted his mouth with my tongue in hopes to stop any further objections. I lifted ever so slightly and took hold of his dick, forcing it to find the proper passage. It was a good thing all it took was a little grinding to get this man ready to play. My fingers tangled themselves in Edward's luscious locks, as I began to bounce up and down. The cobblestone driveway I'd hated before felt oddly sensational, as the car passed over the many small bumps. Never thought I'd wish for a pothole.

I felt him unseal himself from my lips. "Bella, don't cum," he gruffly begged.

"What? Are you out of your mind?"

"Bella, I mean it," he commanded.

"Then, don't fuck me."

"I…believe you're fucking me," he replied, flustered.

I sighed and slowed my roll.

"Bella, I want my pity sex on the bed. I want to wait until we return home."

I looked into his eyes and gave him a questioning look. "This isn't pity sex. It's car sex," I clarified.

Edward looked equally confused. "So…we can still have pity sex after?"

I nodded my head. "Yes."

I mean, didn't he know me at all? Did he really think I was a one-trick pony, only out for one good ride? He seemed to think it over for a few long seconds. "Well…then…continue."

I began to resume my pace, but the moment was lost, so I sighed and pushed back off from him, feeling the instant loss of his beautiful dick.

"You killed the mood," I replied softly. I positioned my dress back down and moved to sit next to Edward.

"You weren't wearing any underwear this evening?" he asked, shifting around in his seat to try and close up shop.

I laughed. "No…of course not. Silly me and wanting to come prepared. I had visions of seducing you against the blackboard, like a misbehaved student in need of a passing grade. Maybe you wouldn't mind living out some childhood fantasy that never played out?"

I saw him laugh at the thought.

"For me, it'd probably be taking you in the chem lab, surrounded by beakers and Bunsen burners. It was my home away from home when I attended Providence."

I attempted to suppress my smile. "Definitely a geek…well, at least you weren't a nerd."

Edward gave me his famous furrowed brow. "What's the difference?"

"Well, a geek is usually academically proficient, whereas a nerd is a person who's obsessed with a particular culture. For example, Star Wars or Anime. By all the awards in your room, I knew you were a geek, but if you told me you carried around a Never-Ending Story backpack, then you'd be both. A…gerd or a neek?"

Edward sighed and ran his hand over his face. "Your thought process exhausts me."

The limo was at the house before we knew it, and it was still pouring down buckets. Edward pulled off his coat and wrapped it around me, before we exited the car. I felt my phone vibrating in my purse and figured it was Rosalie. I hadn't heard from her in a couple of hours. However, I was suddenly filled with terror, when I saw the unlisted number come up with a text.

 _ **If you value your friend, I suggest you keep your boss away from his phone for the next hour. Shouldn't be too hard, since you were just fucking him.**_

I felt my chest ache, as my breath became shallow. I couldn't do it again, could I?

My legs felt heavy, as I followed Edward up to his childhood bedroom. Betray Edward Cullen. It had been hard the first time, and I'd barely known him. How could I choose between my loyalty to Edward and my loyalty to Rosalie?

We entered the bedroom, and I knew Edward was expecting sex, but for the first time, the idea of sex with Edward made me nauseated. I pulled off his coat and handed it to him.

 _Come on, whore. This is your moment. Just close your eyes and open your legs. An hour of sex for Rosalie's safety. This is what you're good at, after all._

"Hey…um…can I borrow your phone?" I asked softly. "Mine just died, and I need to tell Rosalie something."

He handed me his phone so easily. I took it to the bathroom and locked the door behind me, as I crumpled to the floor, clutching it in my hand. I wondered what keeping Edward's phone away from him would do.

Keep Edward away from his phone for a whole hour? I felt my heartbreak, and tears began to fall. It was the first time I'd cried in years. I lay down on the bathroom floor and cried silently into the soft rug, wishing the assholes in the limousine would have just killed me. I couldn't be the heartless slut I needed to be. I couldn't have sex with Edward under false pretenses. So instead, I just lay on the floor, as the time passed. I felt his phone vibrating constantly, but I couldn't bear to look. Every vibration pulled me further down to hell.

I couldn't do this to Edward. He'd been so good to me. I couldn't…I couldn't…I couldn't…

Minutes passed, until a soft knock came from the other side of the door.

"Bella, is everything okay?"

His voice sharpened the knife in my heart. No, everything was _so_ not okay. I looked down at the phone and pulled myself up. I wouldn't do this to Edward again. I saw the makeup on my face had turned quite hideous, as I passed by the mirror to go and face the consequences of my actions.

I pulled open the door, and Edward nearly gasped at the sight of me. _Say it, Swan. Tell him!_

"What's the matter?" he eagerly asked.

My mouth opened, but nothing came out. I felt my head shake ever so slightly, as my silent tears never stopped their flow. I was a coward through and through. I handed him back his phone, and instead of giving him some much-needed answers, I bolted.

Grabbing my phone, I made the quickest getaway known to man, but it was not fast enough to leave Edward completely in the dust. As slowly as I had taken the stairs before, I made up for it now, not caring if I fell, if it would mean I could escape the house more quickly.

"Bella!"

I heard Edward calling out for me to stop. My sobs drowned out the sound, while my mind focused on my quick departure. I reached the solid oak door at the front of the house first, but Edward was quite literally on my heels. I pulled it open, but he slammed it closed almost immediately.

"Tell me what's wrong!" he demanded.

I pushed him off me and screamed, "Just let me go!"

I think my actions startled him, because he backed off for a few seconds, just long enough for me to get the door open. The water coming down from the clouds was unlike anything I had ever known. My beautiful expensive red dress would never be the same.

Edward headed me off once again, and this time, the vice-like grip on my shoulders was not something I could escape, as hard as I might have tried.

"Bella, talk to me!"

He was inches from my face, and as loud as his voice was, it did nothing against the cracks of thunder coming from overhead. I was panting, my lungs begging for air, not sure if it was from my emotions or the run. If it was the run, perhaps I should think about joining a gym.

"I can't," I sobbed louder. "You don't know. You have no idea…what I've done. It's unforgivable. I have to get home. I have to get to Rosalie!"

"Bella," he said my name once more. "Please…just say it."

I was sure he was expecting me to tell him I didn't want to see him again. His voice made him sound prepared to hear something childish, like relationship woes. He didn't know what I was worried about was far worse than he could ever believe.

I had to tell him. He deserved to know. He deserved at least one piece of truth from me, even if it would crush him beyond belief.

"Edward…I've betrayed you. Someone has been making me steal information from you…from your company. They said they'd kill Rosalie if I didn't do it and if I told you. I'm so sorry. God, Edward, I'm so sorry, but I have to get to her and warn her!" I sobbed.

I felt his grip loosen on my shoulders, and he stepped back ever so slightly. He breathed out in one long breath, "I know, Bella. I've known all along."

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for taking the time to read and review. I am so happy that so many of you like the story thus far. Hope to see you soon!**

 **Thank you to Dollybigmomma on her tireless work to edit this.**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

It was nearing December, which meant the average temperature for the Pacific Northwest was below forty degrees. Add the lovely rain and I would be lucky to come out of this without a serious head cold. I could feel my arms filled with goosebumps, and a slight shiver came over me involuntarily, but that was not what had me frozen in place.

"We need to get you inside," Edward said, reaching out to take my elbow.

I pulled back immediately. "What do you mean, you've known the whole time? How? Why? Why didn't you say something? Why didn't…"

I didn't want to hyperventilate and be overly dramatic, but I couldn't stop my body from going through the motions. I turned around and walked a short distance away, putting my hands on my head. My hair was completely drenched, as if I had been swimming in a pool.

 _Breathe, Bella. Breathe deep, and if there's a god, perhaps all that crap DiCaprio has been shouting about pollution will finally do you in._

"Bella, we can discuss this inside. You need to get out of the rain. You'll get sick!"

This time, a little more force was placed behind his words, but I didn't budge. _Should I stay, or should I go?_ The Clash's words were never more appropriate than now. Taking matters into his own hands, Edward decided for me and was unyielding with his touch. I wanted to fight him, but I knew I was just about as much to blame as he was.

Why hadn't he told me? I felt hurt by his lies of omission. Did I have that right? Every question I could ask, he had the right to ask me as well. My head was in a cloud, as we finally entered the house. I might not have even known we were back inside, if my body didn't crave the warmth. I felt my dress slosh with every step I took. The cold, wet material pressing against my legs was most uncomfortable.

After we entered Edward's room, he let me go and came around to unzip my dress. It dropped to the floor, but I made no move, as I stood there in my bra and no panties.

"You need to put on something warm. From my observations of how you eat, I know your immune system will be compromised."

I wanted to snap at him for his senseless remark on my nutrition, but I didn't.

"Okay, I'm here. Tell me! When did you know?"

Edward walked over to my luggage and rifled through it, pulling out some clean clothes.

"I've known before you were ever given the assignment. That's why I fired Jessica. I knew they'd most likely make an attempt to contact you next, which is why I wanted you out of Miss Hale's area and into a safe place."

I had nearly forgotten about Rosalie.

"Oh, my god, Rosalie! I have to call her. I need to warn her. Now that I've failed…"

I rushed around in my wet bra and naked butt, as I frantically tried to dial Rosalie. Edward's hand came up and took away my phone.

"I've already made Emmett aware of the situation. He'll ensure Rosalie's safety, but after tonight, I'll most likely need to move her out of the country for the time being. You need to get dressed. As much as I love seeing…all of you, this is not the time, and this is not a request. Please, put these on."

I looked down at the lingerie Edward had pulled from my suitcase. It would hardly warm me up, but if he would tell me what was going on, I would happily slip into a nightie. I unfastened my bra and went through the motions, while Edward himself dressed down to his underwear. I made myself focus on the situation and shut down the waterworks forming in my fresh, dry panties. Well…not dry anymore.

Once I was done, I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for an explanation.

"You should get under the covers."

"I don't care about being cold! Just talk to me already. You have no idea how incredibly tortured I've been the past few weeks. Wracked with guilt. I feel horrible for what I did. It got worse as I got to know you and care about you. Do you have any idea…I need to know what the hell is going on!"

I hated myself for tearing up once again. My period must have been close. There was no other reason for this sudden influx of hormones.

Edward pulled a blanket off his bed and came to wrap me in it. I attempted to shrug out of it, but his grip was sound. No longer was Edward the shy, timid virgin. At least, he didn't act so. He led me to the bed, and I sat down, waiting for my explanation.

"Bella, the men you met have been after something I have for quite some time. I'm aware of the situation and have made moves to circumvent every attempt. It was not my wish to see you caught up in this. I should've taken measures to see that you were looked after more carefully, so any attempts to contact you would be near impossible. I knew your instructions were to not speak to me about any of this, but I guess I wondered what you'd do with your predicament."

He held out a hand toward me. "Please, understand that I'm not upset with you or disappointed in your actions. You were under immense pressure, and I don't fault your decision process. I just…wanted you to tell me when you were ready. To tell me would be to trust me."

I laughed humorlessly and looked away, while I tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. I could feel my eyes blur at the disruption. My dam wanted to burst and let it all go, but I remained strong and stoic. At least, I think I did.

"You should be furious with me. If you hadn't known what I was going to do, I could've ruined you. You should want to hate me. I know I do."

He shook his head and tried to place a hand upon my cheek, but I shrugged him off. I didn't want him to touch me. Not because I was upset with him for not letting me in on the secret. I didn't want him to touch me, because I was no better than trash. I hated that I had succumbed to those heartless monsters. I should have been stronger. I should have been smarter and figured out a way to keep my integrity.

"Bella, you wouldn't have ruined me. I'm very careful with the fragile information I possess. I'd never allow it to end up in the wrong hands. And I could never hate you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. It's me you should hate. I knew you were struggling. I could tell. I should've told you and found a way to keep you from all this."

The blanket Edward had wrapped me in was finally doing its job. I felt my muscles begin to unclench from the chills, and my body relaxed, but my chest continued to hurt.

"Please, don't apologize. It'll just make me feel even worse," I groaned.

Edward moved closer to me in an attempt to hold me, but I pushed him away.

"No, I can't. I need to go. I can't be with you, Edward," I exclaimed, jumping off the bed, my blanket falling to the floor at my feet. "You may think what I did is…okay. You can even tell me you forgive me, but I can't forgive myself, so I can't begin to fathom how you could. Just because you were able to be one step ahead of me, it doesn't make my actions any purer.

"You care about me. I know that. I feel it, but you deserve better. Not because you're smart and I'm not, or you're rich and I'm poor. You deserve someone who, at the very least, will be honest with you. You're a wonderful man…and even if you don't want to admit it, I know what I did must've hurt you. I lied. Over and over again. I lied to you. I was about to have sex with you, just so you wouldn't look at your phone. I was going to whore myself out to keep my loyalties to someone else."

"To keep your friend alive. That doesn't make you a whore. It makes you a loyal friend," he declared.

"To someone else. To someone who wasn't you!"

"You're not to blame…"

"GOD!" I screamed. "What's the matter with you? Is your self-esteem so grave that you'd be blind to my actions and excuse them, just because I was the first person to fuck you?"

"Don't say that!" he barked.

"Then, what could it possibly be? I've only known you for the better part of a month, and yet, somehow, here you are, always finding a way to excuse me yet again."

Edward looked away, and I felt a small sense of victory. Perhaps he would finally agree with me, and we could both just move on already. He stood up from the bed and walked over to the window. I very much wanted to go and gather my things. I suddenly felt very naked in my nightie.

"You know…Emmett and I used to go to school together. Tonight…was his ten-year high school reunion as well. I graduated early, because I was intelligent and worked hard, but mostly, it was because I couldn't stand to be there even one more minute."

Now, I was confused. "I thought you hated everyone at your school?"

Edward turned back around and looked at me. "I did. Emmett bullied me for years. He was the worst of them all. When I made my first million and decided I should hire personal security, I thought about the person who scared me most of all. I thought that, by hiring Emmett, not only would I conquer my own fears that he still held over me, but also, who better to hire than someone like Emmett to keep me safe? I reached out to him, only to find that the man who'd nearly ruined my life was now a decorated officer in the marines who'd done two tours in Iraq. He would've signed up for another tour if I hadn't hired him. Once I was around him, I found that he wasn't so bad. He grew up a lot."

I sighed and sat back down on the bed. "Okay…why are you telling me this?" I asked.

Edward looked as if he wanted to move closer, but he refrained. He, too, sighed before he continued.

"We were on a field trip. I was sixteen, Emmett was eighteen, and our school took us up to tour the Quileute reservation."

He paused, and I knew why he had paused. "That's in Forks," I stated the obvious.

"Uh-huh." He sat down on the bed, but he kept his distance. He looked down and sighed. "Emmett, like usual, was messing with me. He had me in a headlock and was tormenting me, while his followers laughed and watched. We hear the cock of a gun. We look up, and there's this…little girl, with a rifle nearly as tall as she is, with the barrel pointed right at Emmett. She tells him, 'Unless you plan on sitting funny the rest of your life, I'd let him go.'

"We were all shocked, and Emmett let go of me slowly. The restaurant she's standing near…the door opens, and this older gentleman walks out and yells, 'Isabella Marie Swan, you'd best get your ass in the car, and never touch my gun again!'

"But instead of doing as told, she looks back at Emmett once again and says, 'Don't think I won't find you.' You were what, fourteen years old? A fourteen-year-old girl, able to stand up to an eighteen-year-old guy. Brave. Brave enough to stand up for me, when I couldn't stand up for myself. Do you remember that?"

I swallowed and nearly let out a sob, but I managed to hold it in.

Did I remember that day? It was a day I would never forget, and not because of the incident Edward spoke of. My mind was foggy, as I tried to remember the young, brown-haired boy who I had once attempted to help.

"I remember," I whispered. "That was the day I found out my mother had about six months to live. I was so angry. I wanted to fight them. Gun or not, I would've tried. I would've escalated it, if my father hadn't come out."

I looked over to him, while the tears flowed freely. Dam be damned.

"How…?"

"I can forgive you, because your strength that day…it changed me. I went home and explored this notion that, if someone so young could be so brave and stand up for me, a stranger, how could I not want to fight to be a person who could be strong, too? I swore then, if there was ever a way to repay you, I'd find it. I can forgive you so easily, because you changed me, Isabella Marie Swan. You lied to me…but I haven't been completely honest with you, either. The reason you're at The Cullen Conglomerate is because I set certain things in motion to make it happen. I bought out Newman's. I set you on a certain path. You needed help, and I was in a position to help you. To repay you."

My head felt like I had just stepped off the Tilt-a-Whirl. I flopped back, slamming my body into the bed and threw my arm over my eyes, while I waited for the spinning to stop. Something had always felt off ever since I had come to The Cullen Conglomerate. My Spidey senses had tingled the second Nancy in HR had acted like I had just fallen out of the sky like a gift from the gods.

I began to go over the past few weeks and put the clues all together. Emmett did know me from before. God, I was such an idiot. Why hadn't I pushed more? Why? Because Edward had made me feel like I was crazy for ever insinuating that something was amiss.

I sat up quickly. "Wait…did you lie to me about Emmett? Does he really not have feelings for Rosalie? Has he been stringing her along under your orders?"

"What? No! I mean…yes, originally, when I thought there might be a threat on Rosalie, I asked Emmett to go and look after her, but I never told him to engage. He's with her because he cares about her. Not because I asked him to care about her."

I felt my heart begin to slow once again.

"Bella, please," he pleaded, coming over to me on bended knee, "I know this is confusing. You and I have…a lot we should talk about. This is a lot to take in. Can you please not rush off? I'll make this up to you…"

I looked at him bewildered. "Make it up to me? You had a childhood crush and felt the need to repay some unasked-for debt, but what you did and what I did are not the same. Sure, you lied about your intentions, but you lied because you cared…my lies were malicious. If anything, I have much to make up for."

Edward put his hand on my cheek once again, and once again, I tried to pull away, but this time, he wouldn't allow for it. His eyes held all the worry in the world. His kiss was slow but desperate.

"Please…please, stay with me," he begged softly, shuffling forward awkwardly on his knees.

I closed my eyes, unable to hold his gaze. I needed to think, but I couldn't begin to with his hot, sweet breath tickling my lips, as he held our faces together. Thinking was never my strong point, so I made the move and pressed my lips to his. What started out as soft and slow grew. I felt the cold from my skin slowly heat up, as Edward ran his hands up and down my arms.

We mutually decided to deepen the kiss. I reached my hands around him and began to slide his boxers down. When I nearly had them off, he stood up and dropped them the rest of the way, and then he pushed me back onto the bed. I opened my legs for him and felt him at my entrance. I pushed up, hoping to make it happen sooner. I was so enthralled I nearly made _the_ mistake. You know the mistake I was talking about. I nearly told him to make love to me, but thankfully, I hadn't completely lost my mind. Still, I knew this time was different. Edward wanted me! He had done so much to bring us together. I felt loved. I felt cherished. But I was scared. So scared.

He hadn't pushed inside me, and I wondered what his hold up was, as he rubbed himself on me, but never giving me what I needed. I pulled away from his kiss and looked up at him.

"Say it, Bella."

Say what? Tell him I loved him? I couldn't give him that. Was he out of his mind?

He saw my eyes questioning. Panicking. I felt his hard cock teasing my entrance once again.

"Say we're together. Say I'm your boyfriend."

I nearly laughed, but it came out strangled. "Edward…we've only been on one date," I said, voicing the lamest excuse in the book.

"You and I have never done the conventional relationship, but now…we can. I want to. I want to tell everyone you're mine and hear you say it, too. I love…"

I grabbed him around the neck and smashed his lips to mine, before he could make the mistake of telling me something he shouldn't. I pushed myself up, and then my butt fell back down to the bed. I wrapped my legs around him in an effort to feel him rub my clit for relief.

"Fine…you're my boyfriend," I replied desperately. God, I felt like I was in high school. Boyfriend? What was next? Hand holding, and hearts drawn on my notebook with his initials next to mine? The second I said the words, he pushed into me, and I let out the most unladylike groan. I forgot where I was and let out loud, obnoxious sounds that any person within a two-mile radius would hear and then worry about the local wildlife, wondering if an animal was wounded.

Edward was inside me, and there was no place I would rather be.

 _If only he had told me the whole truth then, while we had been in confessing mode, things might have gone differently._

I awoke to find myself in the exact same position as we had ended in. My head lay across Edward's firm, chiseled chest, and his arm was wrapped around me, with a heavy hand on my ass.

The rainstorm had passed, and the sun shone brightly, almost as if the weather mirrored our lives. Edward knew, and I felt this immense pressure off my shoulders. I looked up at his darling face of serenity, and then…it kicked in. We were together. Officially. I had a boyfriend. I hadn't ever been in a relationship that had lasted more than three rounds of hot sex.

Edward's eyes began to flutter open, and he looked down to see me looking up at him. His eyes were filled with happiness, until he realized the terrified look on my face must have been for him.

"It's okay, Bella. Don't be dramatic."

I pushed up from him to sit up. "You don't understand. I…I've never done this before. I don't do relationships. Hell, besides Rosalie, I barely do friendships. I know this is going to end…"

"Just stop," Edward interrupted. "You feel this way, because you lost the person you loved most when you were young. It made you afraid to ever trust that it wouldn't happen again. I'm not going anywhere. Rosalie…will be out of the country, but eventually, she'll come back. You have people who care…who love you. I love you, Bella. I know you don't want to hear those words from me, but I'm not going to be scared to share them with you. And I plan on saying them a lot, until you can come to the realization that you love me, too."

I shook my head and looked away. "Edward…there are rules…"

"The rules are stupid, but if you want to play it that way, then fine. I didn't break the rules. You told me I wasn't allowed to fall in love with you, but I already loved you, so no rule was broken. And if it means so much to you, you can keep your final rule. I need you. Not the...other thing."

He couldn't even bring himself to call it by its many names. I would laugh and mock him for it, if I wasn't so hung up on the "L" word right now.

I sighed. "I can't say it. I can't give you that. I'm sorry. I think I've lied enough…"

"I don't need you to say it, but I need you to allow me to say it without fear that you'll run away when I do."

I searched my heart. I searched my soul. I was Bryan Adams. I saw this man before me, who, by all accounts, was probably the closest to perfection one could ever achieve, and how was it that this man was in love with me? I thought back to when I had first come to know him, and how, over time, we had seemed to shift like a seesaw. He was once the self-conscious being who I had made frightfully nervous, but now, the roles had switched. When had this happened?

"I kept telling myself it was my job or public service to teach you how to have sex, so you could go out into the world and find that perfect someone else to be good for," I sighed. "But really, I was teaching you what works for me. I'm not that person. I'm not some sex Yoda. What I taught you might not work for someone else. You're my friend, and I've probably enjoyed this far more than you. That's about as much as I can give you, for now."

Edward took my hand in his. "All I want is exclusivity. To know you're mine alone, and I'm yours. We can go slow. As slow as you need. I just wanted to hear you say I was your boyfriend," he said.

I cringed and moved to bite my fingernail, but Edward quickly caught my finger's ascent and pulled it back down.

"Yeah…about that. Do we have to say boyfriend…girlfriend? Doesn't it feel a little hokey?" I grimaced. "We're adults, and when I hear boyfriend, I think Avril Lavigne and the need to ask you to the Sadie Hawkins dance. It just feels a little juvenile. What if we just say we're dating exclusively, to use your phrase?"

Edward straightened up, a clear sign that he was ready to take on any argument I could form.

"I don't see a problem with the phrase. I don't think you realize the perks that come with having a boyfriend. Perhaps I need to explain in detail some of the amenities to possibly help ease your fears."

I scoffed and sat back. "Okay, Mr. Cullen. Would you care to provide a PowerPoint presentation?"

He rolled his eyes and moved closer. "How about we start off the argument with on-demand sex. With a boyfriend, we're talking about sex whenever, wherever. No more need to go out and prowl the local bars and then hope the conquest of the night doesn't drop off the standard sexually transmitted disease."

Ooh, that was a damn fine opening argument. "STD's are more your worry than mine…"

"Don't I know it," he deadpanned.

"Whenever? Wherever? Like, in the middle of a meeting, I can walk into your office and lay it open across your desk, and you'll…provide…much needed servicing?"

"If I'm on a conference call, yes. If I'm in the middle of a video conference or have guests, then you'll have to give me at least five minutes to excuse said guests before I…service you."

I felt my whole body begging my brain to tell him I loved him. Free rides whenever, wherever. Boyfriend? It was just a word. What harm ever came from a word? Edward was good. He gave the very best argument first, instead of leading up to it.

"So…boyfriend, why don't you go ahead and begin showing me your…amenities."

I lay back, but instead of joining me, Edward stood up. "I wish we could, but I'm sure we're late for breakfast. I think we need to pack up, so we can leave right after."

I huffed loudly. "Wow, two seconds in, and you're already violating our verbal contract."

"I need to shower, and so do you, so…if you hurry, I'll make good on my word in there," he replied, pointing to the bathroom.

He didn't need to tell me twice.

After our early morning…couple's shower, we headed down to join the Cullen family for one last meal. Edward told me he had rented a car to drive us back to Seattle, since the very idea of taking his jet was so abhorrent to me. The simple Mercedes we were taking back would not be as impressive as the one Edward had driven from the airport on the first day. As long as it wasn't an airplane, it could have been a clown car for all I cared.

We had just made it to the outer room, when Edward's phone rang. He paused to see who it was, and I saw a look in his eyes.

"Um…go ahead. I'll be in shortly."

"Who is it?" I asked.

"Just Emmett," he replied casually.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Edward, is there something you're keeping from me? I was under the impression that two people who were…exclusive should not hold secrets."

My Spidey senses were tingling once again, but this time, I wasn't going to ignore my superpower. I saw him deflate marginally, but his stance was not submissive.

"Honey…it's just Emmett checking in. Nothing important."

I bit my lip and looked away. "It's okay, I get it. I haven't been honest with you. You don't owe me a thing. Go ahead and take your call. I'm sure it's important."

I flipped around and began to walk off, but Edward grabbed me quickly. He sighed and tapped his phone to redial Emmett. "Emmett, I have Bella here. What do you need?" he snapped.

I gave him a look and rolled my eyes before leaving. Whatever he wanted to talk about with Emmett was obviously none of my business, since he had felt the need to keep it from me. I heard Emmett stutter out something, but I was in the dining room before I heard anything further.

"Bella, how was the reunion?" Esme asked when I arrived.

We were late. Everyone was well into their meal, when I went to sit down.

"It was…interesting. We didn't stay long. Edward felt a little out of place. But it was fun…I guess."

Alice broke off the conversation to discuss her former classmates, since she had known quite a few of the people there yesterday evening. Apparently, Jasper had needed to leave late yesterday evening to get back to work.

Edward walked in about five minutes later and sat down without giving me another look. I focused on my pancakes and the conversation. I felt his hand come up to take mine under the table, but I pulled away.

I hated this. I felt I had no right to be upset after everything I had done, but I knew there was something Edward wasn't telling me. I guessed our late-night confessions hadn't changed much.

After breakfast, Carlisle and Edward excused themselves to go and bring down our cases, while I hung out with Alice and Esme on the front porch.

Once Edward and Carlisle had the car all packed up, Alice gave me a hug goodbye and then flounced down the steps to say goodbye to her brother.

"Bella, thank you so much for coming," Esme began.

"No, I should be thanking you. I had a nice time," I replied.

Esme looked down at her son, who was being pounced on by Alice. "Any chance you could talk him into coming home for Christmas? It's been so long since we've had the family all together."

Esme looked apprehensive, like she had just requested a personal audience with the pope. I looked down at Edward. He looked up at me, and even though we were having a…tiff, I smiled and looked back to Esme. "I'll see what I can do."

I didn't think Edward would be too difficult to coerce. If sexual favors were necessitated, then maybe I could break the last rule.

"Well, that invitation extends to you as well. We'd love to have you back here for Christmas."

I had come to that house as the assistant and was leaving as the girlfriend. Talk about your lost weekend.

Edward and I plastered on fake smiles, as we waved goodbye. I dropped the smile the minute we were out of sight.

We drove in silence for ten straight minutes, neither of us saying a word. I looked out the window and focused on the scenery. I could hear Edward make several loud sighs, for my benefit, I assumed.

"Bella, will you please talk to me?"

"Are you falling asleep? Do you need me to drive?" I asked innocently.

"No? Why would you think that?"

"I don't know. You sounded like you needed me to talk, so I could keep you up. Is there a topic you'd like to discuss? Perhaps something along the lines of the weather or stock market changes or…I heard Kim Kardashian hired private firefighters to spare her and Kanye's house from the Woolsey fire. Thoughts?"

Edward gave me the eye, letting me know he was not amused.

"Bella, I'm sorry about the call with Emmett. I'm not used to having to share information with anyone else. I just…wanted to know that everything was okay, before I brought you into it."

"You don't have to explain. Like I said, I've proven with my past actions that I can't be trusted. You just go about…"

"STOP IT!"

His bark made me jump. I shrank into my seat and returned to looking out my window.

"I do trust you, Bella. Things happen, though, and it's my job to protect you. Something happened, and I need you to give me a minute of your attention without the snotty attitude."

I sighed and turned back to look at him. "Is Rosalie okay?" I whispered, fearing the worst.

"She is," Edward vowed.

I felt the car come to a crawl off the side of the road. Whatever he had to say must have been big, or else he wouldn't have pulled over.

"Bella, there was a fire at your apartment last night. The whole building is gone. I'm so sorry, baby."

I stared at him, unable to form a thought. When my neurons began to fire once again, the one thought that came quickly was how I had failed, and now, all those people had lost their homes and personal mementos because of me.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for all the love for the last chapter.**

 **Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing!**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

I couldn't breathe. Tiny little car with no air. I couldn't find any more breaths in me. I threw off the seatbelt and jumped out into the wild, taking deep, long breaths of the only element I knew from the periodic table. My legs were moving quickly toward the tree line. I heard Edward's car door and the little pinging from the dashboard, alerting us that we had forgotten to shut the doors behind us.

"Bella!"

I grabbed onto a tree trunk and buried my face into the rough texture. "I did this. I…I…I…"

Edward pulled me away from my tree trunk. "No, you didn't do this. Crazy homicidal assholes did this. This is not your fault," he said, gripping onto my arms and shaking me.

I couldn't seem to calm myself down, so Edward pulled me into a tight hug and held me together, while I had my breakdown. The smell of his cologne calmed me marginally.

It took a few minutes before I could come to my senses. I wondered what it must have looked like to the cars whizzing past us, as we stood rooted next to the trees in a tight embrace. Edward pulled back from me and took my face in his hands, wiping the last of my tears away with his thumbs.

"This isn't your fault, Bella. It's mine. Everything that's happened or will happen is because of me. I'll make sure every person who lost their home today is compensated greatly. But no one was hurt, thank God. Everyone got out, and most importantly, neither Rosalie nor you were there."

I felt my breath catch in my throat, as I went to ask my next question. "What do they want? Why are they going to these lengths?"

Edward sighed and looked away. "I'll tell you, but…not now, and not here. Please…just give me some time."

I nodded passively. At least he didn't lie. This case of "Unsolved Mysteries" was still up in the air. Where was Robert Stack when you needed him?

Edward walked me back to the car. His vow to make right by the people in the building marginally placated me for the time being. Knowing Edward, he would make sure they were well overcompensated.

I lay back into my seat and watched the greenery, as it quickly passed me by. Not even my bag of uneaten sugary crap could help bring me out of my funk. I felt this overwhelming need to see Rosalie. To apologize to her. If I had never made that phone call when I had been back in Forks, none of this would have happened.

I think I might have fallen asleep for longer than the average catnap. When I woke up, we were nearing Olympia.

"Hey, did you want to stop for something to eat?"

I smiled, because I was sure Edward has been worried about my overall mental health. He knew food was always the right answer to any question I could pose.

"Uh…sure. Sounds good," I mumbled.

He drove on toward Olympia, and I could see him side-eyeing me every chance he got. He thought he was sneaky, but he wasn't. If he kept going like this, he might crash this fancy, tiny car.

"Edward, I'm not going to freak anymore. I just…needed some time, and every girl has the right to a crazy day. I'm fine. Please, just keep your eyes on the road."

I saw him relax marginally. "Rosalie and Emmett are going to meet us at home. I told them we should be arriving in the next few hours, depending on the duration of our meal."

I sighed. "Home? That's right. I don't have a home anymore."

"Well…I just assumed you'd come and live with me," Edward said quietly.

I laughed. "Well, you know what they say about people who assume."

The confused emoji face he was famous for made an appearance.

"You make an _ass_ out of _you_ and _me_ ," I explained.

Still confused.

"A-S-S-U-M-E?"

He lit up and laughed. "Bella, you're so clever. You always say you're not smart, but that was clever."

"I didn't make it up!" I exclaimed.

His eyes were focused on the road, but I saw a smile being fought on his part. I slugged him in the arm. "You were being sarcastic! Jerk!" I snapped.

I turned back to face forward and pouted in my seat.

Edward found a small diner for us to eat at. I couldn't help but think of his offer for me to stay at his place. I didn't know if it was a good move. Once again, we had only been on one date, been officially together for less than twenty-four hours, and now, he wanted me to move in with him?

I absently played with the sugar packets, as he looked over the menu. I think he noticed my nervous habit and set the menu down.

"What's the matter? You aren't really upset by my little joke in the car, are you?"

"No."

I looked around briefly and thanked god Edward hadn't worn one of his high-priced suits into a place like this. It looked pleasant and clean enough for someone like me, but for someone like Edward…he must have been in love to endure the sights and smells coming from the fryer.

"You want me to move in with you?" I asked.

I finally saw the nerves come back into play. Since I had agreed to be his…whatever, he seemed not to be phased as much with certain aspects.

"Uh-huh." He pulled out a napkin and began to wipe down the table once again. "I think in our particular situation, it makes sense," he replied.

I reached out to stop his hands from over-cleaning. "And what situation would that be?"

He stopped, focusing on our hands, and then he looked up to me. I awaited his answer, but the waitress, an older lady, came over and wished to take our order. I pulled my hands back and picked up my menu again. I absently rattled off something and handed her the menu. Edward began to order, taking nearly three minutes with all his specific requests.

The lady left, and I looked at Edward pointedly, waiting for an answer. "Given that…in light of…."

I widened my eyes, giving him a look, and he deflated. "Bella, I'd feel much better if you'd stay with me, while there's a maniac out there trying to use you to get to me. I can keep you safe. Please, don't fight me on this."

That wasn't what I was expecting.

"So, you want me to stay with you for my safety, not because…you want this relationship to move twenty steps forward?"

Edward reached out to take my hands in his once more. "I told you we could go slow. I mean that. If it'd make you more comfortable, you can even have your own room. I don't want to scare you away."

I chewed on my lip, since my fingers were currently being occupied. "Okay."

"Okay?" he asked for confirmation.

"Sure…I mean, where else am I going to go on short notice?"

He relaxed fully and sat back in the booth, looking triumphant.

"And…I don't mind staying in your room…in your bed, as long as you make good on the boyfriend duties you promised before. Oh…and you have to show me how to flush the toilet, because I couldn't even begin to figure that thing out the last time I stayed over at your place."

"I wondered why you'd left me a urine sample."

"Well, just in case you needed your employees to take a drug test…" I quipped.

"I already knew you were clean. But, from the sample you left, I could tell you were not pregnant, and although it didn't surprise me that your glucose was a little high, at this point, the number isn't one to worry about."

My face held only disgust. "You took my pee out of your toilet and had it tested? You can't even touch an elevator panel without your trusty hanky," I accused.

"No, of course not," he replied, shaking off the imaginary chill that ran up his spine. "My toilet is a state-of-the-art design. It runs a test on any urine left in the bowel for more than three minutes. By the time you left, my phone was already pinged with the information. The toilet was invented to spare patients the repulsive duty of urinating into a cup. Once the toilet is made cost-effective, hospitals all over the country will want them."

Duh!

I ran my hand over my face. "You know…sometimes, there's a little too much technology in your life. I don't understand why you can't just pee in a cup like the rest of us commoners."

He grimaced at the thought. "And risk getting my hand urinated on?"

"You're not a girl who has to sit down and play 'let's find the hole.' You have a fully-operational hose that points and clicks. For future reference, I'd rather you not test my urine…poop or any other bodily function I could rain down on your potty parade. The last thing I need is for you giving me the daily report and advising me to steer clear of my early morning carbs, because my glucose level is elevated."

As if on cue, the waitress dropped off my cheese fries and strawberry shake. Edward looked down at the food with that all-knowing judgment, and then he looked back up to serve my eyes with "Exhibit A."

I rolled my eyes and dug into my fries.

"I only bring up your dietary habits because I care. I love you, Bella. I don't ever want to see anything happen to you, especially if it's something that can be avoided."

I heard him use that word again, and it made me nervous.

"You just _love_ throwing that word around, don't you?" I asked rhetorically, placing all my focus into my cheesy fries.

"I don't throw it around. I mean it. Every. Single. Time. It's just hard for you to hear. Probably because it's been what…ten years since someone last said it to you?"

I felt an instant stab to my heart. My mouth dropped open. Out of my peripheral, I could see Edward realize his mistake.

"God, Bella. I'm so sorry. I never should've said that."

I felt my cheeks flame, as I thought back to the very last time I had ever heard someone say those three words, before Edward had so boldly declared them.

"Don't be," I whispered. "You're not wrong."

I couldn't bring myself to look up at him, because I knew I would see pity in his eyes. I couldn't deal with his feelings, when too many of my own were wanting to vomit all over the table. My once delicious-looking fries held no appeal to me now.

Edward got up from his side of the booth and came to sit next to me. "Please, Bella. It was unforgivable."

He held me, but I refused to let go. I'd had enough breakdowns for one weekend. Any more and I would seriously consider checking myself into a cuckoo's nest. It had been so long since I had felt the need to feel so many feelings. Especially depressing ones. In the past, when my mind would try to tour a past unhappy moment, I would quickly U-turn my way out of it, usually with the help of a random hookup. What was the use of dwelling in the past?

"It's fine, Edward. Geez!" I snapped.

This damn man was forcing me to become _that_ person. A weak little girl who could not lie to herself any longer and blame hormones as the reason for the onslaught of tears and depressing thoughts. I'd never needed Rosalie and a pint of chunky monkey so badly. I wanted to leave, but Edward was blocking my exit strategy. Perhaps he had moved over to my booth to hold me captive.

"It's not fine. Any day when I hurt you with my words is never fine."

"Can we just go? I just want to go ho…"

Great, now I couldn't even retreat to my own home. I was stuck with Edward, as much as his foot was stuck in his mouth. Strike one for living together.

Edward stood up from the booth. "Let me get some to-go containers," he said.

"Just forget about it. I don't want it." I fished a couple of bills out of my wallet and dropped them on the table, before bolting out of the restaurant to go and stand by the car. Edward joined me a minute after. He unlocked the car and opened my door for me. He produced the money I had left on the table and handed it back to me.

I shook my head. "I don't want it."

"Please, just take it."

I turned away and closed my eyes, successfully ceasing the money wars. As we got closer to Seattle and the fact that I'd had a nice, quiet ride, I managed to get over myself. I had to remember that Edward just wasn't very good with words sometimes. I thought back to conversations in the past, and man, there had been some occasions where I could have been heavily offended because of his cluelessness.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I'm…" I searched for the proper words, but I didn't know what to say to not sound like a silly excuse. "Just forget about it. This weekend has been so overwhelming, and I don't take change very well. I don't know why I've been so emotional. I might take your toilet for a test run when I get to your house to see if there are any underlying causes for my hormonal abnormalities."

Edward shook his head. "No, it's my fault. I sometimes don't think about my words before I say them."

"That's for damn sure," I muttered.

"Please, forgive me," he said, choosing to ignore my comment.

I shrugged. "Like I said, I think as far as the mistake column goes, I'm far ahead of you. Don't worry about it."

"Can we just forget about it all, Bella? Wipe the slate clean, as they say? I can't keep hearing you say you're somehow worse than I am, because you kept one secret from me. I'm not upset about it. I told you there was nothing to forgive. You have nothing to make up for. I'm not going to throw the incident in your face at a future time. It really upsets me that you keep saying things like this."

He wanted a clean slate, so I'd give it to him. He would be much better off with having me owe him a "get out of jail free card" for future fuckups, anyway.

An Escalade was parked in front of Edward's entryway, when we arrive back to his house. I felt my overall sense of being light up at the thought of Rosalie. I was not even sure the car was in park, before I was out of it and flying up the stairs.

I knew she was inside, so I began banging on the door. Edward was right behind me, and when the door opened, it was Emmett. I felt a dramatic pause come over me, as I thought back to Edward's story of how we had met. Emmett saw it in my face, as I fully recognized him for the first time.

"He told you," Emmett said with a sly smirk.

I shook away my thoughts, and then I saw Rosalie standing off to the side, looking a little worse for wear. I pushed past the behemoth and darted toward Rosalie.

"We'll be back. Girl issues. You know, bloody discharge, yeast, cramps, and other fun party games to discuss," I said, grabbing her hand and pulling her away. Emmett's face was certainly a picture.

I didn't even know where I was going, since I had pretty much snoozed through the house tour the night I had de-virginized Edward. I found a small room I hoped would be far enough from prying ears.

I saw Rosalie was sporting one of Emmett's shirts, tied tightly around her tummy to show off her curves. Her long blonde hair looked in serious need of some deep conditioning.

"Bella, what's going on? I know about the apartment, but…you're taking this a lot worse than me…"

"Edward told me he loved me," I cut her off. "We went and spent the weekend with his parents, and he said he loves me, and he wants me to live with him. Here. In his mansion. Oh, and that's not all. He knows me…from years ago. He bought out Newman's to get me to come and work for him. He planned everything, and now, he said he loves me. I want to believe him, but another part…a bigger part…is wondering if he's the newer, hotter Penn Badgley, but at least he hasn't killed anyone…that I know of, so maybe he's just a hot stalker…"

"Whoa! Bella, breathe," Rosalie said, holding onto my hands, her dangly bracelets ringing their song, as she shook my hands a little. "That's a lot of information for me to process."

I was only half-listening to her, as I rolled around the top ten male movie stalkers in my mind. Robin Williams…Mark Wahlberg… Then, if we switched over to female stalkers; their list was far better.

Rosalie snapped her fingers to get my attention back.

"You know what? Edward's not that bad," I recanted, thinking of Kathy Bates with a sledgehammer. "So what if he bought a company? That's not crazy. He's not a full-blown stalker. He's…stalker light," I explained.

Rosalie raised her eyebrow, challenging me. "Bella, he's not a beer. But I don't think you have to worry about Edward trying to kill you or boil your bunny."

"Ooh, Glenn Close. That's a good one," I said, adding her to my mental stalker list.

"Focus!" Rosalie snapped her fingers once again. "Perhaps you're just worried because he used the 'L' word, and you haven't even been dating very long."

"THANK YOU!" I exclaimed. "That's what I said. Why did he have to ruin a good thing? We were doing so good with sex, and well, lots of sex…okay, maybe sex light, but we were headed down the '9 ½ Weeks' happy trail, if we didn't have to worry so much about his sister or parents overhearing us."

"Get your mind out of the movies," Rosalie said. "Okay, you obviously like him, and for the sake of your inner monologue, I'll concede he likes…loves you. There are worse things, Bella. Be happy. Allow the happiness to come in, and just focus on a different problem like…perhaps the fact that our apartment just burned down."

God, I was an idiot. Rosalie sobered me up quick. It was one thing for me to lose the apartment, when all I had there was a small backpack of mementos and whatever shopping purchases I had made since arriving, but for Rosalie, she had just lost everything. All her personal effects. All her memories. Suddenly, Edward didn't seem like a problem.

"You're right. I'm so sorry. You just lost everything, and it's all my fault. God, Bella! Get your head out of the self-centered cloud," I smacked myself in the head and looked back at her. "I'm really sorry, Rosalie. I never meant for any of this to happen."

Rosalie walked over and placed gentle hands on my arms. "Bella, Emmett told me what happened. I can't believe you'd do that for me. But you should've told someone. You should've known Edward, with all this money, could've found a way to protect us."

I walked over and fell into a chair. "I don't like thinking about Edward and all his money. You think I want to go to a guy I'd fucked once…twice and be like, ' _Hey, honey, thanks for last night. Now, can you power up your black AMEX and get me and my friend out of a bind?'_ "

"I would've done it, Bella. Even if you'd asked me so crudely."

I felt the hairs on my neck stand up. I jumped out of the chair and cringed at Rosalie, before turning around and facing Edward and Emmett.

"So, apparently, this house does not come with privacy…good to know," I huffed.

I would deal with apologies later.

"It's imperative that Rosalie and Emmett leave sooner rather than later. In the past, I've found that one of your meltdowns could take hours, so I thought I'd expedite the process. Rosalie, Emmett, you have a plane to catch. We'll be in touch. I'll handle my girlfriend and any matters she may have, whether it be bloody discharge, yeast, cramps, or issues with the 'L' word."

I looked down to my feet, feeling thoroughly reprimanded. Emmett held out his hand, and Rosalie moved awkwardly to take it. They began to walk back toward the front door, as Edward stood there waiting for me. He held out his hand, and I stared at it for a second before complying.

I felt his grasp become firm, as we walked towards the entry room. When we arrived there, Rosalie let go of Emmett's hand to come over and give me one last hug. I felt a hole in my heart form. What was I going to do without a girlfriend to bitch and moan to, especially when I was dealing with my first real-life boyfriend? Didn't Edward understand that our girlfriends were what kept the crazy in check?

Emmett offered me a farewell before they departed, the door closing behind them feeling like I was being shut into the slammer, leaving Edward and me in awkward silence.

"So…" I said, before chewing on the inside of my mouth.

"Why don't I show you around…again. I want you to become familiar with the house. Would you like to start in the kitchen? You didn't eat very much today. I could make you something for dinner."

I felt my face involuntarily scrunch, when I tried to imagine what Edward Cullen, health nut extraordinaire, could possibly keep in his kitchen.

"Uh…sure?" I replied.

He saw my face and rolled his eyes, already reading my thoughts. He held his hand out for me to take, and it felt weird. What was with the hand holding? I would blame it on him watching too many late-night reruns of old fifties movies and television shows, if he knew how to turn on a television to begin with. Did he think that, since we were bf and gf, we should hold hands everywhere we went?

When we got to the kitchen, Edward brought me over to the refrigerator first. On the outside was a screen.

"I've seen something like this in a store. They can play music and give you the latest updates," I said.

"Yes, it can do all that, but even more important, it keeps a list of everything in the refrigerator and dates for when it first entered. Every day, it'll give you a list of items that should be thrown out to maintain optimal freshness and cleanliness," he replied, supremely excited for his technology.

I snorted and then pretended to look at the list Edward had tapped onto. "Is my name on there?" I joked.

He sighed and looked back at me, unamused. "Why don't you go over and sit at the table, and I'll cook you something to eat."

I looked around and began to walk off toward a chair.

"No offense, but I think if I'm going to live here, you have to know that I won't become some…vegan or vegetarian. Or eat solely off the Atkins list. I need carbs, and if you don't let me bring some in, I'll resort to extraordinary measures."

Edward walked over and sat down next to me. He leaned forward and took my hands in his.

"Bella, to be successful, any relationship succumbs to the art of compromise. If I can provide a delicious meal, will you give it a chance, before you go diving into your bag of processed fake food?" His green eyes bore right into my soul. It was wrong of God to make someone so hot. Leave a little for the next schmuck, why don't you, Big Guy. Perhaps if Edward wasn't so good-looking, I wouldn't mindlessly agree to consume a possibly nutritious meal.

Edward sauntered off toward his grill to fire it up, feeling like he had just won this round. I sat back in my chair and watched, as he went about his business, and I found myself wondering if I might need Uber-eats to do a mayday drop off in the back, while Edward was in the shower later tonight.

"So, Edward...speaking of compromises…since I'm agreeing to eat a possibly life-sustaining meal, I was wondering if we could go over a couple of things, now that we're together. Tomorrow, we're returning to work, and since everything has changed with our interpersonal dynamics, perhaps it'd be best if I was…redistributed."

Edward slowly turned away from his fiery grill and looked over to me. I could feel my face begin to flame at the sight of him, standing there in his Tom Ford sweater, wielding his metal tongs.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well,…it'd be kind of awkward to go back to being _your_ assistant. Maybe it's time for me to consider a different career path and go work for someone who isn't my boyfriend. I mean, boss, boyfriend, there's just too many 'B's.' It could make for an uncomfortable workplace."

Edward stood there, staring me down. He narrowed his eyes at me, and then he placed the tongs down and turned off the grill.

"Fine, you win. Order takeout. Tell them it's for Cullen, and they'll put it on my account."

I sat back, feeling joy come over me. I loved hearing him say the words, but that wasn't what I had been going for.

"I'm sorry. What?"

"If it means that much to you, eat whatever you like. But you're not changing positions within my company."

He seemed so dead set, that I nearly felt bad for upsetting the balance.

"Edward, even if this was some weird exchange of power program, I mean it when I say I shouldn't work for you. Mixing business with pleasure will ultimately be the undoing of your business."

Edward once again sat down next to me with his perfect posture. A sure sign that he was ready to take on any argument. Even only knowing him a few weeks, I already knew him well.

"Bella, just take the win. It's either that, or I have some tofu in there that's set to expire in a couple of days that'd be wise to use up. Have you ever tried tofu, Bella? Packed with protein and a great substitute for meat. Imagine all the meals I could make us."

My mouth dropped at his attempt at blackmail.

"Edward, this isn't some quasi-form of compromise. I'm not saying send me to the mailroom and pack my lunch with your best tofurkey jerky. This is a real issue we should talk about, and most importantly, you should come to see my reasoning, because my reasoning is sound. I mean, the gig is up. You didn't hire me for my excellent computer skills. For the love of God, please, put someone in the position who actually deserves it, and if you're good, I'll find a way to stow away into your secret elevator on my lunch break and come up to possibly break the last rule."

He rolled his eyes. "Once again, Bella, not something I need from you in exchange for your safety."

"You just think you don't need it, because you've never experienced it. Trust me, once I go down on you, you're going to be like, 'Pussy what?'" I paused. "Wait, you're keeping me as your assistant because of my safety?"

"Of course," Edward said, shrugging slightly. "Now more than ever, things are going to be a little different. If you were amenable, I'd request a tracker be placed in your arm, but I didn't think you'd accept it."

"Yeah, privacy makes me kind of crazy that way," I retorted.

"Bella, I just need you to be safe. Please, for now, can you just accept your fatty foods as a gesture of good faith? You eat what you want…even if it'll shorten your life expectancy by ten to twenty years, and I can keep my assistant…close to my office, where I don't have to split my focus on you and my company."

I sighed and sat back, quickly going over my options. Eat whatever I want, with less torment from Edward on my calorie count, and in return, keep up the ruse of me being a productive member of the team, so he can keep his metaphorical leash on me. I guessed I could handle that. At least he wasn't planning on something like holding me down while a tracker was injected into my arm.

I agreed to the terms and happily ate the Chinese food I ordered for dinner, all the while, with Edward looking at my chow mien as if, at any moment, it would block my arteries and bring into question whether he should have onsite emergency services. I never realized that, for his end of the compromise, it would come with a lot more than a metaphorical leash.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you as always for reading and reviewing.**

 **Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing!**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

"Do you mind bringing in my bag from the car? I need to do some laundry, if I'm going to go to work tomorrow."

It had dawned on me, when I had been cleaning up my Chinese takeout, that I no longer had any clothes or toiletries other than the ones in my luggage from our mini-vacay.

"Actually…"

It was never a good sign, when Edward would use that word.

"What did you do?" I asked, somewhat calmly. Emphasis on the somewhat.

"Just follow me," Edward said, leading me out of the kitchen and towards the staircase. I had a feeling I already knew, but I was waiting to pass judgment.

He took me over to a room that was just one door away from his bedroom. We walked in, and it was just another chic bedroom, complete with a creampuff duvet. Then came the closet, which was already filled…naturally.

"Edward, did you keep clothes from your past girlfriends? Because that'd be creepy."

"Of course not. I bought them all for you."

"Aaaaaaand that's creepier," I replied.

I'd had a feeling, but him spending buttloads of money in the hopes that I would agree to, one, live here with him, and two, not notice the fact that he'd gotten this all done in the short couple of hours after hearing the news that I had lost everything…it was a little crazy.

"How is it creepy? I knew you'd need a few things. I had Emmett let the delivery person in, and I had a person from my cleaning staff on standby to make sure it was all set up for your comfort."

I turned to him and gave him a look. The kind of look I imagined he would become very accustomed to.

"You don't need to do all this. I appreciate the thought, but please, in the future, try and not think with your wallet. You don't have to buy my…" I stopped from saying the word. "I just mean that I'm not going to say the word, because I feel indebted…"

"Indebted?" Edward questioned. "Bella, I just want you to feel comfortable here. I'd hope you wouldn't feel the need to tell me you love me, just because I bought you a dress."

He sounded offended. Ladies and gentlemen, this was where it got tricky.

"You didn't buy me a dress. You bought me a closet. But since we're here now, let's just get to the bigger issue. Obviously, there's a large discrepancy between your take-home amount and mine. And no, that wasn't me soliciting you for a higher salary to do a job that I'm already unqualified for, which makes me feel a little prostitute-y. I'm merely trying to point out…"

"Bella! I already told you I don't appreciate the insinuation. I have money, get over it!"

He was pissed. However, his need to be pissy just made me feel pissy. Instead of furthering the argument, I decided to just take myself out of the equation.

I left the closet and walked over to the bed, slipping off my shoes, before pulling back the covers and sliding in.

"I thought you said you were going to sleep in my room," Edward said, seeing me all tucked in for the night.

"Take your own advice and…get over it!" I snapped back.

I tunneled further down, allowing for the creampuff duvet to nearly swallow me up. This was for the best. I didn't want to tell him, but my throat was feeling a little sore. A surefire sign that I was getting sick. He had already told me I would probably get sick from our little rain dance the night before. The last thing I needed was for him to call me on it, since he had already sited my probability due to poor diet, etc. Insert eye roll here.

I knew he was still standing there, probably trying to decide what he should do next. Most guys would know to leave a bitch in heat. I felt his weight added to the bed. It seemed Edward didn't know to leave well enough alone. Shocking. Poor virgin.

I felt the weight of his arm draped over my midsection, before he pulled me closer, his hot breath leaving a trail on the back of my neck.

"My apologies. I'm completely mentally unprepared for how cohabitation would result in certain degrees of difficulty. I'll readjust my expectations for better results in the future."

I scrunched up my face at his words and then turned over to come face to face with him. "In English?" I asked.

He sighed and looked up to the headboard and then back to me again. I saw how his eyes had changed from the fiery red I had just witnessed at my misguided insinuation remark. They were much calmer now.

"We've had a few issues today. I think it's time we talk about it without the fear of hurt feelings, but to maintain an honest relationship, we have to communicate. You ran off with Rosalie earlier, because moving in so soon and hearing that I love you is worrisome to you. Rosalie isn't here anymore. I'd hope you'd know you can talk to me about anything."

"It's not that simple, Edward. I needed girl talk. Most girls do when stressed. I can't help it that you lack the necessary equipment. Rosalie is a girlfriend. There are just some things we girls need to say to one another that men could never understand. I wouldn't expect you to bring all your male issues to me. I know there are some things better left to the man cave."

"I understand. But…in the future, I just want you to know you can talk to me. I'll refrain from being judgmental or attempting to steer your thought process in a direction that most benefits myself."

I reached up and gave him a peck on the mouth, before falling back down onto my fuck-awesome pillow. Seriously, point one for money if it bought beds like these.

"The money thing," I cringed. "It does kind of make me uncomfortable. I mean, yeah, on one hand, I'm like, cool and all, but deep down, it just makes me feel a little weird. You bring so much to the table already. I can only bring sex, so that's why I say things that may upset you."

"How could you say that, Bella?" he asked, running a smooth hand over my head, before pausing on my cheek. "You bring you, and let me tell you, Miss Swan, as much as I enjoy having sex with you, I've enjoyed you far more. I know you think we're opposites. That I don't approve of your eating habits and other things, but I love you. I find you humorous. I love the way you can talk to anyone. You have this ability to meet a stranger, and while most take some time to warm up, you just act like its someone you've known your whole life. It's a gift. Everyone is impressed by you. It's enchanting."

It made me feel awkward to hear such compliments. I wasn't used to it. I could have said thank you, but that felt lame. I reached up to kiss him, and not just a peck this time. As his tongue tangled with mine, I felt the need to remove said creampuff duvet, which I did so expertly. Edward's hand came down to unzip my jeans, and it was then when I appreciated his ability to read my mind. The tiff was over, so now, it was time to welcome me home!

Edward pulled away, and we both quickly began to shed our clothes.

"I need you to fuck me, Edward." My skin was already tingling in anticipation. "What do you know about 'doggy-style?'"

Edward paused, as his boxers slipped out of his hands and shuffled down his legs to the floor. "I…find the name repulsive."

I smiled and pulled him back onto the bed. "Trust me, there's nothing repulsive about what we're going to do. Besides, I'll have you know that 'doggy style' just replaced the favorite position, knocking out missionary for the first time ever." I got down on all fours and looked back to him. "So, let's do it like they do on the Discovery Channel," I said with a wink.

His face was once again full of confusion.

"It's a song. Bloodhound Gang…never mind, I'll add it to the need to know list I'm compiling. Just don't ever watch the video. It could scar you for life," I waved him off and resumed my position.

Edward looked me over and seemed a little apprehensive, but he climbed on the bed and lined himself up. I looked forward and waited for him, already beginning to feel my holy center leaking eagerly. Edward placed his hands on my hips tentatively. With all the time it was taking him to comply, I began to think about the first time I had introduced roleplaying into our relationship. Just picturing his face when I had dropped that nougat nearly made me queef.

He entered slowly and began the motion, but it was not nearly fast enough. I think Edward wanted to make love our first time officially living together…using what I assumed would be his words, not mine. But I didn't want to do that. I needed to fuck.

"Faster, Edward. I need to feel your balls slap me in the clit!" I ordered.

He picked up the pace, thankfully, and I moaned out in appreciation for his excellent ability to take direction.

"Oh, my god! Right there!"

He picked up the pace even more with my verbal motivations. His hands tightened on my hips, and I could feel his fingernails digging into my flesh, as he pounded into me over and over. I was nearing my final destination, when I felt his hand come down hard on my ass. It surprised the hell out of me, but it sent me over. I was done, but Edward wasn't, so I attempted to keep my form until he came. He pulled out, and without a word, he flipped me over. He crawled on top to push himself back in, before latching onto my breast. His tongue swirled around my nipple, sucking harder, as he desperately punished my tender vag, until he could unload fully inside.

A compromise in the end.

I felt my heart racing. I placed a hand on my chest to feel its attempt to slow down. I was in a state of serenity, as Edward pulled me to lay with him. The creampuff duvet was a crumpled mess hanging off the bed. I accidentally snorted, attempting to hold in my laughter for my fallen comrade.

"What?" Edward asked, confused.

"Uh…nothing. It's just the duvet."

He looked down to the duvet and then looked back at me.

I shook my head. "Sorry, but I just have this affair going on with your duvets. I call them creampuffs, because I feel like the cream in the puff when I lay in them. Honestly, I'm a little surprised you'd choose such a puffy cloud to cover you at night."

Edward looked utterly perplexed, but he had "'L-worded" me, so now he had to put up with my pillow talk.

"I guess I just love the way they hug me when I sleep. It makes me feel secure."

His answer was not what I had expected. It made me sad. It broke my heart. He needed the creampuff to hug him while he slept, so he could feel loved?

"But now you have me," I said softly.

Edward looked down at my face and scooted down with a silly grin on his face. "You're right. I do," he replied, ending his sentiment with a kiss.

I snuggled back into his chest and laid there, listening to the pitter-patter of his heart, while thinking over our latest teaching session. I felt myself blush, as I replayed Edward smacking my ass. Who knew he would be such an ass man?

"So…just curious. Who taught you about slapping asses?"

I didn't look up at him, just in case I needed to spare him from embarrassment. Secretly, I found myself to be a little embarrassed. No one had ever done that before. I know, shocking! But, I kind of liked it.

"Uh…" He cleared his throat, and I felt his body tense. "I…took some advice from you last week and decided to turn on the television one evening. I flipped through channels, attempting to find anything worth my time. I came across this reality television program about a gentleman who delivered pizza and a…babysitter."

I felt the need to suppress my grin. "Edward. Were you watching porn?" I asked, looking up at his face. There was no way I would miss this.

"I don't believe so."

He looked as if he was replaying the show in his head to determine if it was, indeed, porn.

"Did you see dick? Vag?"

His face began to blush, and his jaw tightened.

"That was porn, and in the future, if you'd like to watch it, I wouldn't mind being there when you did," I replied, attempting to spare him from further embarrassment.

We were quiet for a nice, long minute, but I felt his body shift uncomfortably, so I took the cue to move away. I crawled over toward the creampuff duvet and attempted to straighten it out.

"Bella."

Edward had said my name so many times that I was able to discern when he was about to ask me something that I should prepare myself for.

"Yes," I replied warily.

"I…I…I just wanted you to know that, I didn't watch the pornographic material because I was unsatisfied in our sexual relations, because I find that sexual relations with you are very pleasing."

Okay…

I sat near him, but not touching him. I wondered why he felt the need to tell me this.

"Thank you?"

He was still searching for the right words. Stuttering. Stopping and starting again, as he blundered his way through whatever it was he wanted to say.

"It's just that…I want to be good for you. I only watched that particular program, because I hoped you'd be fulfilled and satisfied with our sexual relations."

I let out a long wind of breath and ran my hand through my hair awkwardly.

"Can you please stop calling it sexual relations? I feel like you're doing a clinical study on our sex lives," I said. "Look, Edward, I'm very pleased with our…sex life. You don't have to watch anything to try and get some tips for pleasing me. I actually find that you being a virgin has helped, because I feel open enough to tell you what I want and how I want it…something I never did before with any other guy. So, don't stress about it. If there's ever anything unsatisfying, I'll let you know. M'kay?"

I saw him nod his head for confirmation, and with that out of the way, I tunneled back under the creampuff duvet and slithered myself up into his arms.

"I'm curious," he mumbled.

I sighed loudly. This was why one should immediately go to sleep after having _sexual relations_.

"About…?" I asked, knowing I would hate whatever came next.

"Well, if it's not too much of an imposition, I was curious if you'd feel comfortable enough to tell me the truth about how many sexual partners you've…maintained."

Was it too late to fake sleep?

Thank god he couldn't see my face.

"Uh…well…" It wasn't like I kept a shopping list. I wasn't a guy who made notches on my headboard, proud of my many accomplishments. "To be honest, I don't know. I didn't keep a list, but I'd probably say…two a year…on average."

That didn't sound so horrible. In Forks, it wasn't like the pickings were ripe. If you had sex with someone, it ended up being three degrees to anyone else residing in the town.

"Two a year? Two a year. You're twenty-four, so approximately twelve?"

That was some fast math. I sat there, dividing and rounding up.

"Twelve? Yes, I lost my virginity at eighteen. Because that's the legal age, and who would ever lose their virginity before the federally mandated age of adulthood…twelve sounds about right."

I cringed even more so and turned my face away from Edward's chest, so he wouldn't feel the spastic movements of my face.

Edward let out a loud sigh. "Bella…at what age did you lose your virginity?" he asked in that warring tone.

I crept down further into the puff. "Fourteen…" I muttered.

"Fourteen!" he exclaimed.

"Well, you're the one who said I looked experienced. I was just living up to expectations."

Ah, the relationship woes. I'd never had to do the ex-partner countdown list before. Guys you met in bars usually didn't care how many people you'd slept with, and if they did, they just wrapped it twice.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, somewhat ashamed.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. It was in the past, and I wouldn't care if you were with a thousand men," he replied, squeezing me tighter.

"Wow…a thousand men? I'm not a porn star, so don't give me a bar to aim for."

I heard him let out what sounded like a small huff. I turned once more to look up at his perfectly sculpted face, being left to wonder if he thought less of me, even if he wasn't saying it out loud.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I don't know what compelled me to ask. I guess…I just wish that…" I heard him struggling once again. "I love you…for exactly the person you are. I'd never want to change a single thing, but I guess…if I was being honest, I kind of wish _I_ could be your first something."

I chewed on my lip at his confession. I'd guess that was understandable. He would never know he was my first something, even though I could never bring myself to say it out loud.

"Well…if you want…we can always have anal sex. My ass is a virgin, and it's all yours if you'd like."

Leave it to me to find the most inappropriate way to get around giving him what he truly wanted.

"Seriously?"

I couldn't tell if he was considering it or offended that I would say such a thing.

"Sure, why not. It's only fair. I popped your cherry. You can bake my brownie."

 _Please, don't get crazy with me. Please, don't get crazy..._

I sat there, with every tendon in my body flexed, while I waited to see if he would accept my ass offering.

"Okay."

Instant relief!

I immediately relaxed back into him.

"But not now," he clarified.

"Of course, not now. That kind of thing requires some prep. Lube. Finger stretches. Relaxation techniques. Clearing my schedule from sitting in the days that follow."

I saw his fingers flexing out and stretching, as he tried to make out what I had just said. I would slap myself in the forehead if my hand was usable.

"Edward, I mean you have to stretch out my asshole a little."

I saw it dawn on his face, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Whatever! Talk to my hand," Edward replied, acting offended.

"I think you mean, talk to _the_ hand."

I giggled even more. Leave it to Edward to use a saying from two decades ago.

Eventually, Edward asked if we could move back to his room. He said he was used to sleeping with the bed pointed east, and it would mess up his Feng Shui if we stayed in the guestroom.

Don't even get me started on the lengthy explanation for that one.

I fell asleep almost immediately after the move. Feeling my throat get worse, I knew I needed to tuck in for the night, but I wished I hadn't gone to sleep. I had nightmares of the apartment fire. I dreamt Rosalie was stuck in a burning building, and the creepy guy with the skin condition was laughing at me, while I tried in vain to figure out a way to rescue her. Then, she morphed into Edward. Suddenly, Edward was engulfed in flames, yelling out that he loved me, and it was okay to let him die.

I woke up crying. I looked over and saw Edward, peaceful as always. My sore throat had escalated to blocked nasal passages. I stumbled out of the bed and wandered towards the toilet. I hated myself, immediately realizing I never had gotten it out of Edward the fancy way to get the damn thing to flush.

After I washed my hands, I stood in front of the mirror, replaying the dream over again. The creepy man in the suit with a bad skin condition, telling me Edward was next, hurt my heart. What would he do now, if I didn't comply with his every demand? He had burned down our home. Rosalie was supposedly safe in another country. I would feel relieved, if I didn't have something far greater to risk now. Edward.

Would he do something to Edward? He hadn't done so by now, so he must have needed him for something. What if he did something to Edward's family next? Would he try to get me to continue to spy for him by threatening me with other people in Edward's life?

I felt positively sick, and I wasn't talking about the head cold.

I looked over a sleeping, happy Edward, and I just knew that, if I really had feelings for him, the best thing I could do was to get as far away from him as possible. Leave Seattle. Leave Washington. Hell, maybe I should even leave the country. I'd heard northern Canada was lovely in the wintertime.

I was quickly in the guestroom closet, finding the warmest possible outfit and keeping it as quiet as I could, as I tiptoed out of the room. I was down the stairs with my phone and a small bag in hand. I would order my Uber the minute I was outside. I still had to walk the half mile down the road to get to the front gate.

My hand reached out for a handle on the front door, but there wasn't one to be found. I had never noticed how Edward's door didn't have a doorknob. Instead, a lit-up glass circle, big enough for a hand, was all that was there.

WHAT THE HELL!

I nearly screamed in frustration at the damn state-of-the-art door. Why couldn't he be normal and have a normal doorknob? I kicked the door in retaliation. Stupid move, since the damn thing appeared to be made of steel.

"Bella?"

I fell forward a little and let my head hit the steel door, as I sighed at my failed escape attempt.

"Too much technology, Edward," I mumbled into the door.

"Apparently, just enough."

I turned around to face him. He looked broken at the sight of me. What to say? He wouldn't understand. He would just placate me.

"There was a nightmare involved, but the short of it is that I need to…move on. My presence in your life could be detrimental. I don't want to be that creepy asshole's pawn ever again, and if I stay here, it's just a matter of time before he finds someone else to use against me, probably your family, and that can't happen. I can't hurt you again. Please, just let me go."

He didn't answer. He just walked forward a couple of paces and placed his hand on the circular glowing disk. The door opened. I was amazed he was so easy. I thought he would put up a fight. I had to say, I was a little hurt he didn't.

He placed a gentle hand on my face and gave me a soft pat. "Bella, you're tired. You're exhausted. You're not thinking clearly. We've had a rough and overwhelming couple of days. You're getting sick. But I'm not going to keep you prisoner here. If you really need to go, please, at least take a car with you. But you have to know that, no matter what, I won't allow anyone to hurt you, or anyone else you care about for that matter. I can keep you safe. Please, trust me."

I crumpled into his waiting arms, and he closed the door behind me. I sniffled a little, and I believed he was right. I wasn't thinking clearly. I was exhausted. And I was getting sick.

"Edward, did you test my urine again?" I asked, wondering if that was how he knew I was getting sick.

I felt his grip stall and then tighten slightly. "It won't happen again."

I relaxed infinitesimally, but then a thought popped up into my head. A very scary thought. Scarier than the creepy old guy with the bad skin condition. Someday, if I was pregnant, Edward could technically know before I ever did with his tattle-tale toilet.

 _I am not a viable vessel._

 _I am not a viable vessel._

 _I am not a viable vessel._

It only worked if you said it three times, right?

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing!**

 **Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for taking the time to edit.**

 **Story is mine. Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

I lay on the side of the road, waiting for a forensics team to come and scrape me off the pavement. At least, that was what it felt like. I'd been hit by the flu truck. I couldn't breathe through my nostrils. My eyes had crusted over, and my body felt broken. Edward couldn't see me like this. I'd never done the whole relationship thing before, but I was pretty sure seeing a corpse in your bed was grounds for immediate dismissal.

 _Must get to the bathroom and de-crusty before Edward notices._

Plus, there was the added fact that, even if Edward found the whole zombie bride thing appealing, which would be disturbing and yet not surprising, he could use this time to give me another time-honored lecture on the importance of nutrition and portion control. To save me from the sparkle in Edward's eye, when he realized that, once again, he was right, and our little rain dance had caused only one casualty, it was imperative that I escaped the bed unnoticed.

I didn't feel Edward's body heat radiating, however. My hand managed to make a covert sweep on his side, but nothing was there. Great, he had seen my zombie corpse and had fled bed and building, fearing I would attempt to eat his brains.

My eyes unsealed slowly, and I could see the fancy gold clock to my left. Of course, it wasn't digital, so I was forced to interpret the hands as some form of mathematical medieval torture. Big hand was the minutes, and the little hand was the hour, so that was, I think, six o'clock in the morning, with big hand near…ah, fuck it! Note to self: buy Edward a real digital clock for Christmas.

I stumbled off to the bathroom, feeling the weight of my body swaying in my attempt to not trip over my feet or hit walls. I saw the dreaded toilet and didn't even care if Edward ran my pee through his medical database to find everything wrong with me. I felt the desire to poop, but I refrained, because the last nail in the coffin after zombie corpse in your creampuff bedding would be to witness significant other's cow pies sitting pretty in one's state-of-the-art porcelain potty.

I hated holding it in. I felt like crap, and now, I had crap dying to run free. _Must get tutorial on Flushmaster 3000 if I planned to defecate anytime in the near future here._ I could possibly go and crap in another toilet, but I'd run the risk of it pinging Edward's phone with improper waste disposal.

I washed my face, but it did little to improve my overall appearance. Edward's bag was nearby, so I pulled out the large hoodie I had made him buy at our shopping montage and threw it on to go discover his whereabouts. If I was a billionaire, where would I hide?

Not in the office. Surprising.

Not in the kitchen. Not surprising.

From a hallway I had never ventured down before, I heard something in the distance. I slowed my roll and came to a stop outside the door to what appeared to be a gym. There was Edward, standing is some weird position. The weird position was not what worried me, however.

"Who might this be?"

A hot, perfectly fit young strawberry blonde woman came out of formation, after catching a glimpse of me in a massive wall mirror. It took Edward two seconds to turn to me. She didn't seem like the type of girl who would ever allow herself to be caught with crusties in the corners of her eyes. Her skin-tight clothing showed every defined muscle. I attempted to hide behind the frame of the door.

"Bella..."

"Sorry, I…didn't know where you were. I didn't mean to interrupt," I croaked out. Why couldn't I get a sexy sick voice? Of course, I would be saddled with something that sounded like nuts and bolts being ground up in a blender, while the epitome of perfection stood tall and busty right in front of me.

"Um…Tanya…this is my…girlfriend."

I noticed the pauses and couldn't help but feel even more embarrassed than I already was. Even Edward didn't want to introduce me to Aphrodite.

"Bella, this is Tanya. She works with me in yoga and Pilates."

Dear god, even virgin Edward could make me fall victim to a cliché. He was off "seeing" his Pilates instructor, while his girlfriend couldn't get her act together and look pretty in the mornings.

"I'm…just going to let you get back to it. I have a bed to see about a current long-term position I need to be opened."

I turned around and shook my head at my stupidity, but to add insult to injury, I became one of those girls. You know what I was referring to. The kind of girl who said she was going, but then she hid in the hallway, hoping to hear some evidence she needed that not all was well in Paradise.

"You had a girl stay over? Girlfriend? Who are you, and what have you done with _my_ Edward!" I heard the perfect blonde say.

Edward didn't respond.

"I'm sorry, but it's just hard to believe. I mean…I think I'm jealous," I heard her simper.

"Tanya, please refrain. I'm with Bella. You have no idea the lengths I've gone to just to get her here. I will not jeopardize my relationship for anyone or anything. If you can't remain professional, you know where the door is. Don't touch me again."

I felt my heart skip a beat at his tone. He was clear and concise. But what if he was just saying that, because he knew I was standing here and listening in? What if his mouth was saying, "Stand back," to her, but his eyes were saying, "Yes, please, and give me more." And there would be no hesitation for seconds for sexy instructor Tanya, right?

"Well…I think we're done for today. Call me when you need another session. You know, Edward, for you, I'm always available."

I heard the double entendre. I'd never wanted to be that girl. You know the kind, the one who would tell their hottie boyfriend to find a new workout friend. Preferably of the male persuasion. AH! I'd swear, this was all so much easier when I didn't have to worry about this crap. I was so not meant to be in a relationship.

I heard feet squeaking towards my hidey hole behind the door, so I scrambled out of there, seeking refuge in the kitchen. I looked around at all of Edward's clean spaces. His perfect pots and pans. His sleek marble countertops and stainless-steel appliances. You could do open heart surgery in here. I felt so out of place.

"Hey…hungry?"

Edward walked in, and I tried to shake off all the rogue thoughts I was having before turning to him. "Uh…no. Actually, for once, I'm not hungry. I don't know why I'm here."

Figuratively and literally.

He walked forward cautiously. "I hope you aren't upset with my professional relationship with Miss Denali."

"Miss Denali?" I questioned.

"Tanya," he clarified.

"Oh…her? Me? Never. Of course not. You do…whatever it is you like in your…professional workings."

Was that good enough?

I turned to go find a better place to fidget. The refrigerator was an excellent fidgeting area. I opened it, and the cold blasted me in the face. There was nothing appealing inside from what I could tell, but I wasn't really looking very hard.

"I can make you something. You should probably be in bed. I turned up the heat in the house, but you shouldn't be walking around when you're this sick."

 _Phew! He bought it. And the Oscar goes to..._

"Uh…yeah." But I couldn't leave well enough alone. "How long has Miss Denali worked for you?"

Edward looked a little caught off guard, but he was about as new at this as I was. He didn't know how us girls could be when encountering a threat of the same sex, stretching and posing in suggestive positions under our boyfriend's noses.

"Uh… about five years? I could fetch the first date of employment if you'd like?"

I stood there, giving him my best squinty eye. Warning bells were ringing.

"Okay, I'm just going to come right out and ask. How were you still a virgin? Especially when someone as hot and forward as Tanya works for you, and don't give me that crap about professionalism. I mean, I think you kind of blew that excuse when you slept with me one week out."

He stepped forward with a questioning brow. "Bella, I don't find Tanya physically attractive."

"How is that possible? You did see her, right? I mean…are you gay? It's okay if you are. I've always needed a gay best friend, and I currently have an opening."

Now, it was my turn to take squinty eyes from him. He walked forward bravely and with the full force of…well…the force, with which he mind tricked me.

"Bella. I've. Never. Even. Thought. About. It."

I could feel myself losing my mind, as I looked into his lovely green orbs. "Now, I think you're lying," I whispered.

"I have no reason to lie. I knew what I wanted, and I was patient enough to wait. All good things come to those who wait."

I broke away from his gaze and walked around him, shaking my head.

"That doesn't make any sense. I mean, you met me once, and I'm pretty sure that, no matter how fiery my attitude was that day or how turned on you were by my use of the second amendment, it makes no sense that you'd carry a torch for me for nearly a decade, when you had nothing to go on but my name."

He sighed and stepped forward once more to run a hand through my hair. "Do you believe in love at first sight?" he asked coolly.

I snorted. "I'm not even sure I believe in love…period!"

He didn't even flinch or waver at my cynical musings. Instead, he leaned down and brushed his lips against my forehead. "You will."

Here had been another chance for him to lay out all the honesty cards, and he didn't take it. He could have told me right then and there the extent and lengths to which he had gone to in order for our paths to cross. To tell me he knew me so well, and it had nothing to do with love at first sight. It was years and years of surveillance and high-priced stalking that led him to "fall in love" with me. But alas, he didn't say a thing, and stupid me, I just believed he was a silly romantic.

Edward followed me upstairs after a rousing game of breakfast roulette. I figured anything worth eating would never be caught dead in this house, and since I was already feeling disgusting, I didn't want to put Edward's space toilets to the test, when I upchucked some tofu omelet Edward wanted to prepare.

"I need a shower, and then I'll be ready to go," I said, entering his bedroom. "Oh, and I desperately need you to show me how to flush the toilet. Or better yet, is there any normal toilets in your house?"

I looked back to Edward, who wore his perplexed face.

"Go? Go where? And all the toilets are the same."

I sighed. Of course, they would be. No chance of ever peeing without worrying about instant reporting.

"To work, of course. It _is_ Monday, after all."

"You can't go to work like this. Are you out of your mind?" he asked with a voice I was not appreciative of.

"Jessica said that, until my ninety-day probation was up, I don't have any sick time."

"And you think that's a problem I can't take care of?"

I sighed and flopped down on the bed. We hadn't even been to work, and already, this relationship was hitting some major working relationship roadblocks.

"Edward," I said in a warning voice, "The only way this is going to work…Edward and Bella at home versus Mr. Cullen and Ms. Swan at work…is if you can separate the two and treat me like any other employee. Bella Swan, the underling, has not passed her ninety-day probationary period, so Bella Swan, the underling, must go to work, even upon threat of death from flu. Okay?"

He took a deep breath, and his narrowed eyes never left mine. I was waiting for a rebuttal. With Edward, there was always a rebuttal. He put one hand in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Without looking, he pressed a button to speed dial someone.

"Good morning, Angela. I need you to send a memo to Human Resources stating a change in our sick time policy, effective immediately. Any employee of the Cullen Conglomerate will receive two weeks of paid sick time per year, to be taken at any time after their hire date. And on another note, please clear my calendar for the rest of today, as Miss Swan is sick, and since she's my girlfriend, I'll be staying home to take care of her."

My jaw dropped, and before I was aware of my actions, I flew at him to attempt to wrestle the phone from his hands.

"Thank you, Angela, that'll be all," he said hurriedly and disconnected the call.

"WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!" I screamed, my throat hating me for it. I hit him in the arm with my fist for good measure. Edward pulled back a little and reached out to grasp my hands to keep me from doing further damage.

"I was not aware we were keeping our relationship a secret," he replied.

"Probably not, but there was a better way to go about telling your first assistant! Do you not understand how your words could affect my professional position? I get it. I'm just a joke to you. You liked me and hired me for this position, knowing full well I wasn't suited for it. You want to keep me there for safety reasons, not because I can do the job. Well, fine! But if I ever wanted to be taken seriously, going about telling everyone that I'm fucking you isn't going to help my cause!"

I let out a loud huff and flipped around to head off towards the bathroom, slamming the door behind me and locking me in with the complicated commode, my pee from earlier staring up at me.

Edward banged loudly on the door. "Isabella! Come out here!"

I wanted to laugh. If he thought banging down the door and calling me by my formal name was going to get me to surrender, he had another thought coming. I looked down at the toilet, and my intestines groaned. I walked over and looked at the digital pad on top, and it was displaying a whole bunch of numbers and symbols. For what? I had no idea. I waved my hand over it, and nothing happened. I crouched down to get a better look at the toilet to try and figure out how to flush the damn thing.

"I don't appreciate your childish behavior, Isabella. Come out and talk to me like a civilized human being!"

Edward's words did little to motivate me.

I put my hands all over the sleek body of the toilet to look for a trigger. There had to be a simple flushing sensor I could not see.

"I don't think you're a joke, and I'm offended that you'd say such things!"

There was a small lip at the bottom of the toilet, and my fingers went under it. Suddenly, the damn thing flushed. I jumped up and screamed in jubilation.

I opened the door and caught Edward off guard with my celebrations.

"I did it! Take that! I figured it out on my own!" I boasted.

Edward, who had his mouth half open, was once again confused.

"I have no idea why you'd put the flushing sensor down there, but HA! I figured it out! In your face, Edward Cullen!"

Edward shook his head and walked forward to wave his foot under the lip of the sensor, sending the toilet into flushing mode once again.

Oh, that made sense. He would never want to get his hands anywhere near the toilet.

"I don't understand why a foot sensor would still be better than the standard sensors they have now."

Edward sighed. "Bella, I don't want to discuss my toilet with you right now. I have no idea why you have such a fascination with them, but we have bigger issues that need attention."

I walked out and hoisted myself up on his bathroom counter. The marble felt cold through my pants.

"I don't understand why you don't have a urinal. You're a single man who seems to like appliances tailored to your person. Wouldn't a urinal be prime for someone like you?" I asked, ignoring our bigger issues.

"We don't need to discuss this right now, but I don't particularly like all the disadvantages a urinal provides. Plus, I like to sit when I urinate. Less chance for the spray to hit said toilet seat and leave me with a moist, defiled bottom."

I snorted at the picture he painted, and I could see how irritated he had become at this discussion.

"Bella! Please!" he snapped. "We need to figure this out!"

I rolled my eyes. "What's to figure out? You want to hire a skywriter, and I want to remain professional, but in the end, it doesn't matter what I want, so just…do whatever it is you want to do. At least I managed to get a bunch of new hires sick time. Maybe you could add that to your skywriting message. 'I have a girlfriend, but her role in my life has given new employees two weeks of paid sick time, so be sure to not think so lowly of her.'"

I saw his jaw tense, and for a minute, I wondered if he was going to continue our verbal sparring match. Instead, he walked forward to stand in between my legs.

"You're infuriating. I wish you wouldn't think down on yourself. You want to remain professional? Fine. We can do that. But you're not going to work today. You'd just spread your sickness around. Is that what you want? For Angela to get it and then possibly baby Ben? Take your hot shower and go back to bed. You can sleep, and when you're awake, maybe we can have an honest conversation on our relationship and what we can do to keep it."

He kissed me on the forehead once more before turning to leave. I felt exhausted, and although I would not be telling him this, I was glad I was staying home for the day. I planned to spend most of my time in bed and fast asleep, safe from any relationship discussions.

After a much-needed shower, I began to feel slightly saner. However, it was the long, perfect nap wrapped in a creampuff duvet with my current love interest keeping me warm that really kept my madness at bay. I heard a shuffle of papers and knew that, even though I was snuggled up alongside Edward's firm body, he was still working. I guessed someone had to work in this house to make sure the lights were kept on.

I faded in and out of consciousness for the better part of the day. Edward eventually shook me awake, and he had brought me soup. I didn't want to wake up. I was having such a lovely time down in my Egyptian cotton hole.

"Come on. You haven't eaten a thing all day, and normally, with anyone else, I wouldn't be worried, but with you, I'm about two seconds away from calling in my personal physician to come and see if you're worse than I'd believed."

I groaned and opened my eyes. My fingers came up to check my face for crusties, or more importantly and embarrassingly, remnants of drool.

"I'm doing what the doctor ordered. Rest. Right?"

"And plenty of fluids. I think you'll like the soup. I sent out for it. It's chicken noodle from scratch. It'll taste good. I promise."

I pushed myself up, and he placed a tray over my lap. I slurped at the soup and was happy that he had made good on his promise. "How long until my quarantine is over? I have to get back to work and do damage control."

Edward looked me over and thought on it. "At least give me another day."

I gave him a look before returning to my soup. "Can we at least go and stay at your apartment? That way, you can work properly, and if I begin to feel faint, I'll just go upstairs."

I thought it was a good compromise.

"I got quite a bit done while you were napping, so no need to worry about me. Just focus on getting better, and we can return to work when you're in better health."

I didn't go back to work on Wednesday. My somewhat promise of another day meant keeping me out until Thursday at the earliest. I had never spent so much time in bed with a man without extracurricular activities. And don't think I didn't try, but to my surprise, Edward was well aware of any attempts on my part and shut them down. Damn germaphobe.

Edward said that, if I really thought I was ready to go back on Wednesday, I wouldn't mind proving it, but I was not about to surrender myself to a urine test just to prove it, so I stayed home on Wednesday as well.

I honestly did feel better by the time we rode up in the private elevator to the private office. I could feel Edward's eyes on me, looking for any hint of a runny nose or cough. I made sure to take the strongest cold medicine I could find that Amazon could ship me overnight. Edward made a big stink about the brand I chose, since he knew so much from running a pharmaceutical company, but I wasn't looking for the heavy shit. I just needed something to get me through the day.

"I hope you don't mind, but I already made arrangements for lunch today. I found something I thought would help you on your road to recovery."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "No way! Today, I'm back at work, and you'd better believe that, since my appetite is back, too, we'll be dining on something a little more my style."

The door opened, and I could hear Edward's deep intake of breath, putting me on the defensive.

"Look, I just want you to be healthy. At least give me today with the lunch menu, and then I promise, you can go all out tomorrow…on my dime."

It wasn't the dime thing that appealed to me. It was the idea that he would eat whatever I picked.

"I get to pick, and you promise to eat without nasty comments?" I replied.

I saw a small war within him, but he relented.

"Fine, Mr. Cullen. You won this round. However, you seem to be winning a lot of rounds lately. Just watch it, because whatever the next compromise should be, I plan on winning that war," I jokingly threatened.

I saw the worry flash through his eyes.

"I'd hope you could be reasonable and not argue for the sake of argument," he muttered.

I laughed. "Have you met me?"

His worried look intensified. "You know what? You're right. You can win this one. Go ahead and eat whatever you'd like. Just order enough for two."

He seemed to be acting kind of squirrely, which caused my Spidey senses to tingle.

"Edward…what do you have planned?" I asked in warning.

"Uh…have a good day, Bella. I'll see you…"

Edward's phone rang, and I could see how nervous he was, as his eyes flashed to the phone. We both jumped for it, but I reach it first.

"Hello?" I asked breathlessly, while Edward was trying to pull the phone out of my hands.

"Oh…hi, Bella. Um…Edward's nine o'clock is here already. Does he want me to send them in?" Angela asked.

I looked back at Edward. "Who is your nine o'clock?"

There was a reason he didn't want me getting that phone. There was a reason he was suddenly subdued about my meal choices. There was a reason my boyfriend seemed worried about the guests who were about to make our acquaintance. Somehow, I doubted it had to do with the exciting world of transportation, pharmaceuticals or technology.

 _No, Bella Swan. These guests are here for you._

* * *

 **AN: Thank you again to anyone who reads and reviews!**

 **Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing!**


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

9:00 A.M.

9:03 A.M.

9:06 A.M.

A most epic stare down was underway, and there was no way I was going to break first. I was very relieved I had chosen a war stance that was comfortable. My arms were folded in front of me, while I held my head in a slight tilt and stared into the green eyes of my adversary.

Edward had chosen his classic "hands on the hips" stance that, unfortunately, would keep him comfortable for a long period of time as well. I was still sure he would break first. After all, I knew I didn't have a multi-billion-dollar company to run and had all the time in the world on my hands.

"Fine. Would you please take a seat? I have a feeling we'll be here for a while."

I smiled triumphantly that he had broken first. I unfroze and stiffly walked to the chair in front of his desk. At the same time, we both took a seat.

"I need you to be open-minded and not give me grief for the decision I've made."

My mouth dropped open in fake shock. "Whatever gave you the idea that I wouldn't be?" I asked innocently.

"Bella," he warned. "I know you. I know you well enough to know how you'll react. Instead of hearing me out and understanding that I always have your best interests in mind, you'll fight me just to fight me."

"You still haven't told me who your nine o'clock is, and I'm not getting any younger, nor is your company getting any richer."

He sat back in his chair and slowly breathed out his frustration through his nostrils.

"Their names are Seth and Leah Clearwater. They're a brother and sister team who specialize in personal security…"

I began laughing at once and stood up from my chair, shaking my head in disbelief.

"…and they're here to keep you alive!" he finished loudly.

I quenched my laughter.

"No," I said calmly and pointedly.

"Bella, this isn't up for negotiation," he argued, standing from his chair. "This doesn't change your day-to-day. They won't interfere with your personal life. They'll merely be around to make sure you're kept out of harm's way."

I was feeling pretty pissed off. The moment he made it seem like I didn't have a choice in the matter was his downfall.

"I said no," I replied quietly. Boldly.

"And I don't care," he said boldly, too.

Okay, was this man suicidal? Because I was pretty sure he was just asking for it.

"My apologies, Mr. Gray. I hadn't realized I'd signed a contract giving up my free will. You'll have to remind me where it stated that you now own me and therefore can now dictate how I may live my life."

Edward walked around his desk toward me. For a moment, I wondered if he was going to make good on my Mr. Gray comment, but then I remembered that, if he didn't watch television, I doubted he'd had the time to pick up a mommy porn book and give it a gander.

"I need you to take this seriously. The men you've encountered don't play around. They'll hurt you, given the chance. Probably kill you. Please, for the love of god, just let me have my piece of mind."

"For the love of god, Edward, let me have my privacy!"

"You'll still have your privacy. You have this preconceived notion that I'm doing this to keep tabs on you, and not because I want to make sure you're safe. This has nothing to do with whatever it is you want to do."

"Okay, and what do I do when I need a moment to myself? To ourselves? Say, 'Hey, Seth, can you take a knee, while I fuck my boyfriend?'"

I was sure any girl out there would want to bash me in the head for my defiance, but I had seen the _Shades of Gray_ movies, and I also had seen _The Bodyguard_ and various other forms of entertainment on the matter. I knew that, by having a person following me around and attached to my ass twenty-four-seven, I would be giving up a lot of privacy. And then some. This Leah and Seth would be running to Edward with every little scrap of information they caught. Edward and I would no longer be boyfriend and girlfriend. Our relationship would change into something far more disturbing. It would be like father and daughter. Edward constantly telling me I shouldn't do something, or worse, attempting to keep me on a path he deemed the safe and narrow one.

"Edward, I understand your worry. I promise I'll be vigilant and won't take any unneeded risks. Hell, I practically spend every waking and non-waking hour with you. Isn't that enough?"

He shook his head softly and took my hands. "No, it's not."

I let go of his hands and began to walk to the exit. We were getting nowhere fast.

"I'm not going to sign off on the security detail. You're going to have to learn to live with my right to choose. If not…then I can move out. I understand you have certain rules for your home. It's your home. You have every right to think you can demand things of me, but I'll find someplace else to live."

"And you think I won't put security on you, no matter where else you flee to? I'm merely telling you this as a courtesy. There are other ways I can go about getting what I want," he threatened.

I was hurt and angry at his tone. My face said it all, and he knew he had fucked up, so he headed me off at the door immediately.

"That's not what I want. I don't want you living someplace else, and I didn't mean this to come off sounding like a threat. Bella, I want what's best for you. Why can't you see that? Why are you being so difficult?"

His tone had changed completely, and he had come down from his hostile stance. I saw how frustrated he was with me, and I calmed myself down, because he and I were so bad at this. Both were in our first real relationship, so the waters were bound to get rough. But he needed to understand that he couldn't mandate certain things in our relationship.

"How are we going to fix this? I don't see any compromise in sight," I said.

Edward looked away for a second. His face was in a tortured scowl. He took a deep breath in and then looked back to me.

"Okay, fine. You win. I'll keep Seth and Leah as my personal security, while Emmett is away with your friend, Rosalie. When you're ready to come around and see things my way, then they can attend to your security needs."

I felt a great relief go through my body. I smiled at him and took his hands in mine and squeezed them in appreciation.

"Thank you, Edward."

He nodded and then let me go to come back around to his desk.

"But just know…until that happens, we won't be having sex again."

My mouth dropped open in horror. I felt my face heat up. He'd done pissed me the fuck off now.

"Are you withholding sex to get your way?" I screeched.

"My apologies, Miss Gray. I don't see how I'll be able to rise to the occasion, until I feel this weight off my shoulders," he replied innocently.

"It's Mrs. Gray. You'd know that if you read the book! And you know what, be that way. I don't need sex as much as you think I do. I went quite a while before you came into the picture, I can wait for you to give in."

Edward took his turn to laugh.

"Really, Bella? What's the longest you've had to wait? Fifteen years, was it? I waited for twenty-six years. I'm sure it'd be nothing to wait another twenty-six years if you want to threaten me."

I turned around and headed for the door.

"You know what?" I said, turning to him one last time. "I'm not feeling too well. I may need to take another sick day, Mr. Cullen. If you need me, honey, I'll be downtown at the sex shop on Fifth picking myself up a replacement."

"If that's what you prefer. I can't imagine why a person would want some cold, hard plastic piece, but what do I know?"

"I'll have you know, Edward Cullen, that they make vibrators very realistic nowadays. Put that baby in the microwave or run it under some hot water and it'll feel very lifelike."

Edward walked toward me like a snake circling its prey.

"Whatever you want, baby. However, prepare for a sore wrist, and do think of me while you attempting to get yourself off. Remember how it felt when my cock would drive its way into your tight hole. The feel of my fingers digging into your flesh, as I drilled you with my shaft. My teeth nibbling on your pert, perfect nipples."

I was nearly breathless at the dark thoughts. We hadn't had sex while I was down with the flu, and now, I saw how that was a mistake. I was feeling weaker with every naughty word and ready to give in to any demand he could make. I shook my head of the fantasy and knew only anger would be able to get me out of here with my dignity intact.

"I think I'll buy a dildo two sizes bigger, just so it can stretch out my tight hole. When you finally do give in, just imagine how disappointed you'll be," I snapped, turning from him and fleeing the room.

I was lying. There was no way I would ever buy something bigger than what I had. Edward was the perfect size for me, and if I messed that up, he wouldn't be the only one disappointed in the end.

"Bella!" Angela was happy to see me, and after being off for so many days, I felt bad that I was leaving once again.

"I'm so sorry, Angie, but I'm not coming in today. If you want someone to blame, ask your boss," I replied shortly. I looked over and saw the crack brother-sister duo who was apparently there for me.

"You can go in now. I'm sure Mr. Cullen can't wait to speak to you," I said, looking them over.

The guy was a hunk, but not my taste, and Leah? She looked like someone I so wouldn't want to mess with. I pictured it for a second. These two following me around and making my life hell.

 _Focus, Bella. Must buy a vibrator_. Maybe I should make a to-do list. I saw Edward's door close and hightailed it to the elevator. I didn't want there to be any chance that the Torture Twins would come out of the office and follow me without my permission or knowledge to make good on Edward's threat.

"Hey, maybe we can catch lunch later?" I asked Angela, as I backed my way toward the elevators. "I'll call you."

I hurried into the elevator and attempted to channel inner peace, while rethinking mine and Edward's latest conversation. The farther away I got, the worse I felt . On one hand, he was only trying to keep me safe. On the other hand, it was shady and manipulative to withhold sex if I wouldn't comply. I might be new at relationships, but I knew withholding sex was grounds for dismissal.

Edward wanted me to be safe. I just needed to show him I could do so without resorting to expensive private security. Instead of taking the bus, I ordered an Uber. I waited inside Edward's building until said Uber driver picked me up.

The highlight of my day was seeing the Uber driver's face, when we pulled up to this sex shop. I made sure to tip generously, even though I was pretty sure I would be said Uber driver's best story to regale all his friends with later that night. The driver agreed to wait until I was done. Yeah, I was sure he had no problem waiting for the girl who had just gone into the sin store.

As I walked around the sex shop, trying to find my plastic replacement, I had never felt lower than I did right then. Sex toys and porn usually brought out the best in a girl like me, so why wasn't this shopping excursion perking me up? What I wouldn't do for Rosalie to be here right now to give me sound, solid advice.

I eventually settled on some sparkly, realistic-feeling vibrating dildo that advertised its ability to be used either hot or cold. I didn't know why anyone would ever want to freeze their hoo-hah off, but whatever. To each their own.

I paid for my purchase, but I already felt myself rethinking this idea, wondering if there was a trashcan outside the store to get rid of the sparkle stick.

 _Be strong, Bella. Maybe if Edward sees said sparkle stick, he'll immediately give in._

I walked toward the exit, but I felt my whole body being gripped and pulled roughly behind a tall display. My captor slapped his hand over my mouth, and it was then I realized who it was. The third guy from the limo. The one who didn't take kindly to me and looked as if he had just been released from prison. His tattoos mocked my attempts at believing I could keep myself safe. I suddenly found myself in the dressing room, my wrist hurt, as I was slammed hard up against the wall.

"See how easy this was? I want nothing more than to just keep squeezing." One hand was around my neck, as he firmly put pressure on my throat. I attempted to breathe, but I was unable to. I fruitlessly tried to scream through his hand.

"My boss has other plans for you, however. You may be fucking Edward Cullen, but that doesn't keep you safe from us. You'll still do as you're told or else, and if you don't believe me, ask your friend, Jessica."

His mouth was inches from my ear, his hot breath spitting onto my lobe, and I felt tears run down my face. I tried to remain calm, but for the first time, I was truly scared.

"Need more proof? Google her name and Elliott Bay. You won't get another chance, so I suggest you wise up and do as you're told!"

He squeezed my neck hard once more for good measure, and then he let me go. I ran from the dressing room and stumbled out to the Uber car I had waiting. I was in complete shock, as the driver kept asking me where I wanted to go.

Where did I want to go? Where could I go?

"Please, head back to the Cullen building," I whispered.

I ran my hand over my throat, and it felt bruised, swollen and sore.

I found Edward's number in my phone and almost called it, but I stopped myself. What was I going to do? The closer we got to Edward's building, the more out of sorts I felt. I mindlessly got out of the car and managed to get into Edward's private elevator car.

 _Okay, Edward. You officially win. You so win. It's not even funny how much you win._

The doors opened, and Edward was on the phone, looking at his computer. He was none the wiser. He saw me in his peripheral and lit up. I instantly felt safer just seeing him. I'd been so incredibly stupid.

I heard him attempting to wrap up his call. I walked over to his desk and turned his chair.

"I understand. We'll speak more on this at the meeting."

I got down on my knees and attempted to unzip his pants. Edward immediately held out his hand to stop me.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," he said and then hung up the phone. "Bella, I told you, no sex, unless this is your way of relenting and giving me what I want."

"You can do whatever you like, Edward. Let me do what I like."

I undid his belt buckle and unzipped his pants.

"I'm extremely pleased to see you come around, but I'm curious as to why. You seemed pretty dead set on your position this morning."

"Just shut up and let me express my remorse for how I acted this morning."

I managed to spring his cock from its confines and wanted to break the final rule, but he stopped me once again.

"Bella, what's the matter?"

I wanted to look away, because the concern in his voice brought me to tears. I felt so incredibly stupid and wanted to make it up to him. What guy wouldn't jump at the chance to have some chick suck him off?

"You were right, Edward. I'm sorry I didn't take your concerns seriously. As I said, you can have your minions follow me wherever they wish to go. Hell, invite them in now and let me show them how we please our bosses around here."

Edward sat himself up and tucked his dick back into his pants, before he pulled me up from the floor.

"Honey…please, tell me what's going on."

A flash went through my mind. Jessica Stanley's face. I didn't have the lady balls to check and see if what the asshole had said was true. I was afraid that, if I had looked and it was true, I would have vomited inside the nice Uber driver's car. I felt myself begin to shake.

"Bella, what happened?" Edward pressed again.

I broke down.

"You were right. You were right," I whispered through unshed tears. Edward pulled me into his chest, as I began to sob. I didn't know how to relay to him what had happened. I continued to cry as I never had before. I was scared. I was heartbroken for Jessica. She might have been a bitch, but I didn't want to see her die.

Edward pulled me along toward his private elevator and took me upstairs. He attempted to get me to talk, but I just couldn't right then, so he laid with me until I could calm down long enough to form a proper sentence.

"Can you do me a favor? Can you Google Jessica's name and…Elliott Bay?"

I felt Edward pull his phone from his pants, and I tucked into his side and breathed his scent in deeply, hoping it would calm me, but the tears still came.

I felt Edward's chest rise and fall quickly, indicating that what the asshole had said must have been true.

"Bella! What happened!"

This time, he was more forceful, shaking me with his firm grip. He pulled me up with him, and I sat cross-legged in front of him, unable to look into those damn green eyes. I knew when I told him what had happened, he was going to be mad. Mad at me and at himself. He would never trust me again. He would only trust his instincts, and it was the price I would have to pay.

"They found me…when I was out."

"Found you where?" he snapped.

I blanched at the harsh tone of his voice. "At the porn shop," I cringed, knowing how bad the whole thing sounded.

"Goddammit, Bella!" he yelled, jumping off the bed. "I told you to take this seriously, but once again, you just had to be stubborn."

"I know!" I cried. "I know. Why do you think I came back here and told you I'll do whatever it is you wanted?"

Edward paused for a second, and then I felt his angry eyes on me.

"Why the hell did you think giving me a blowjob was going to fix everything? Sex can't fix everything, Bella. God!" He turned away and walked out of the room.

I felt myself break even more. Should I leave? Was this it? I rubbed the tears from my eyes and stood up from the bed. I walked towards the elevator, just as Edward was coming back in.

"Where are you going?" he snapped.

"I…I…thought you'd want me to leave," I muttered.

The anger in his face softened, and he released it immediately. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"Bella, I'm very upset right now, but I don't want you to leave. I'm upset with you, yes, but that doesn't ever mean I don't want you here with me. I'm going to get mad at you, and you'll get mad at me, too, but that doesn't mean this is over. That we're over. I'll try to calm down. Please, just go sit down, while I think this through."

I slowly backed up and sat on the bed, casting my gaze down. Edward took a couple of seconds, but he came to join me.

"Baby, I'm sorry for what I said and for how I acted. I need you to tell me what happened."

I shook my head slowly. "It'll just make you mad."

"I am mad, but I love you more. I need to know, so I can relay it to my team."

I sighed and then told him the short version. The version that didn't include physical violence. I kept my head down, hoping there was no evidence that would rat me out. I didn't need to do so, because Edward knew me too well. He knew when I was holding back.

"I told you what he said. What else do you want?"

"I want you to tell me everything. Did he lay a hand on you?"

I didn't respond.

"Lay down," he ordered.

"What?" My eyes flashed to his.

"If you won't tell me, I'll go over your body and look for the marks myself."

I didn't move.

"Bella!"

"He…kind of choked me a little, but that was it," I answered.

It took a great effort for Edward to calm himself before asking to see my neck. He scowled deeply at the bruises I was sure were blooming there.

"I need to call my personal physician. She'll be able to determine if there's any long-term damage."

"There isn't. Seeing enough episodes of _Bones_ and _CSI_ over the years has given me the knowledge that I'll be fine," I replied.

"Pardon me if I don't take medical advice from television programs. I have to make a call," he said solemnly.

"Wait, Edward," I called out after him. He came back with his phone in hand, ready to hit the green button to dial. "I just…Jessica. I feel so…"

"I know," he replied. He came and sat down with me on the bed. "I'll find a way to end this. I promise."

I nodded, and a chill ran over my entire body, as I thought about Jessica Stanley.

"I know you have a lot of work, and seeing as how I've already wasted my day, do you think it'd be okay if I just stayed up here? I'd go back to your house, but I don't want to be alone right now, and I know you need to work, after already taking off so much time."

I felt like I put the funk in perfunctory. I was no longer sick, but I felt like a zombie going through the motions. Jessica's face wouldn't leave my head. I knew I hadn't caused her demise, but I still felt guilty.

"No, I already have someone bringing the car around. We need to go home. I went about this all wrong. I could've saved you and me from a lot of headache and heartbreak if I'd just come clean sooner. It's time I tell you exactly what these men are after. Maybe then you'll understand the severity of the situation and have more faith the in decisions I make."

Edward had been ready to tell me a big secret, but it wasn't the big secret he should have told me. His lack of faith in me was what kept him holding back the whole shebang. A girl in "L-word" should never have to learn from someone sinister about all her boyfriend's dirty deeds.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you as always for taking the time to read and review! I'm so thankful for your continued loyalty to this story! Your kind words drive me and lift me up in a way that is indescribable.**

 **Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing!**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

I wasn't sure why Edward felt the need to bring me all the way back to his home to tell me what was going on. Did he feel his house held more privacy than his own building? Did he think that, whatever he was going to say, it might cause me to want to run off and leave him, and being all the way out in the forest, he could delay my departure, knowing I would have to wait for Uber to come and pick me up?

He had been fidgeting with his phone the whole trip back to the woods. I wanted to ask him what he was waiting for, since he kept checking his phone every two seconds, but I refrained, feeling like I had already done enough damage for one day.

My suspicions that our new security detail was following us were found to be true the moment I exited the chauffeured town car and saw them drive up right behind us. _I'm sorry, my new security detail._

I knew it was for the best, but that didn't mean I liked it. As I saw them step out of the car simultaneously, I felt the walls closing in, which was a feat, since I was in the middle of wooded nowhere.

Edward's grasp on my hand woke me from my dismal thoughts, as he pulled me alongside him into the house.

"This is for the best, Bella. They're the very best. Every single client they've ever taken on has remained safe and alive."

I heard Edward's words, attempting to break down the walls that were already forming. The odd thing was, the moment we arrived back inside his house, I felt better. I had teased Edward every chance I could on his technologically advanced house, but it made me feel safer. I imagined the walls were built for fortitude. He had made the comment before about how the windows could handle a hurricane, so perhaps they could handle something far more lethal. A homicidal maniac.

Edward let go of my hand and turned to speak to the dynamic duo who had followed us inside.

"I need a moment with Bella, and then we'll make official introductions."

I saw the Clearwater clan exchange looks, but they knew better than to say something. I could just imagine what was going through their minds, after witnessing this morning's unusual comedy act, plus whatever kind words Edward had already spilled about his girlfriend's accommodating cooperation.

My wrists already felt the heavy burden of the imaginary shackles. I was sure the Clearwater duo must have known I would be a pain in the ass. Mindlessly, I followed Edward upstairs, but I stopped momentarily outside the guestroom that held the closet of clothes meant for me.

"Do you mind if I change into something a little more comfortable?"

Edward looked a bit skeptical, but he nodded slowly. I felt able to breathe, once I entered the overly expensive closet. I walked forward and ran my face over the soft fabrics, pulling a silk top off the hanger. My feet moved forward, until I merged successfully and could hide away from the world. I knew it would only be a matter of time before Edward came to look for me, but I took every minute alone I could get and used that time wisely to try and not have a panic attack.

I thought about the first moment I had met Edward. The story he told was a little fuzzy in my mind, but I remembered it well enough and let his description of the events fill in the blanks. I had been so angry that year. Just the thought that my mother was leaving this earth had been enough to change my very being. The Bella that Edward believed I was came out of grief and anger. The strong girl who had stood up to a burly man four years her senior had only done what she had because she had secretly been hoping for a fight.

Where was that Bella now when I needed her most of all?

Being in this relationship was causing me to become soft. I usually lived my life like I had nothing to lose, but since I had come to care for Edward, I did have something to lose. The very idea of losing him had turned me into this weak person who seemed to cry all the time and hide behind fancy-ass clothes. Edward said he fell in love with me because I stood up for him. Because I was strong and brave, but what if being with Edward made me into a person he could no longer love?

"Bella."

I saw two perfectly polished shoes standing on the floor in front of where I was hidden. His voice sounded cautious or sad. I was not sure. I sighed once more and pulled myself from off the floor. I slid the hangers apart and was met with a face of worry.

"I just needed a moment," I attempted to explain.

He sighed, too, and looked away. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I never wanted you anywhere near this mess."

He was worried about what he would have to tell me. I had a feeling that, if he could go back and do it all over again, he would find a way to keep me out of the loop. The way he played with his fingers when he was stressed was a good indication that, whatever he was about to say, it made him feel as if his words would make me want to leave.

"Edward, just tell me. There's no use for both of us to be stressed to the max. I can handle it."

He nodded softly and took my hand, pulling me toward his bedroom. I hadn't changed into something more comfortable, but I doubted pulling on yoga pants would ease this situation.

Edward paced in a spot near the entrance to his closet, while he figured out where to begin. A painting on the wall I had never taken the time to notice grabbed my attention. Far too modern for my tastes. I was not exactly sure when art had turned from pictures and scenery to splatters of paint. Hell, I could do the same damn thing if given the proper tools.

 _Please, tell me you didn't spend a mint on that god-awful painting, Edward._

I sat on the creampuff duvet, but I didn't lie down, fearing I might fall asleep. Knowing Edward, whatever explanation he had might be hard for someone of my intelligence to follow.

"I know my mother and Alice told you about Brandon."

Not where I saw this beginning, but okay.

"Alice's boyfriend who died of cancer…and your friend," I replied.

"Yes, he was my friend. He was…my only friend," Edward replied. "When I was at Dartmouth, Alice called me to tell me about his diagnosis. I was…upset, of course, and that semester, I struggled to pass any of my classes. I was put on academic probation because of it. I spent my time working with a man who I tracked down. He was making major headway in coming up with possible solutions to fight certain strains of cancer. I never told my parents this, but I essentially took the semester to learn as much as I could to come up with a formula that'd help save my friend. Obviously, I was too late. Brandon died, and it took years for us to come this far."

He stopped and came to sit next to me on the bed.

"You found the cure for cancer?" I asked skeptically.

Edward looked away. "Not quite….well, not yet."

I could see how tortured he was. I could feel his pain, almost as if it was my own. I reached out to take his hand, hoping it would reassure him, so he could continue. He pulled my hand up and laid a gentle kiss upon the back of it.

"Bella…I want to try and explain this so you can understand. Please, stop me if I overcomplicate it."

See, even he knew he had to dumb it down.

"What we eventually created wasn't a cure. It was a curse. We found a way to eradicate cancerous cells far better than ever achieved. Better than chemotherapies or radiation. The cancerous cells were killed within minutes of coming in contact with my virus. It had the possibility of curing nearly thirty-three percent of known cancers. But…the chemical solution we came up with didn't just kill the cancerous cells. Once it was finished with its work, it would then turn on perfectly healthy cells and begin to attack them, too, not stopping until a person was dead. I haven't been able to figure out how to fix the problem."

I had seen enough movies to get the gist of what he was saying.

"So, what happened to your partner?"

I saw his body go rigid with anger.

"My partner. I was so naïve to think the man would be happy with finding a cure that could save millions, I never thought he'd be a man who just wanted to _make_ millions," he spat.

Edward's grip on my fingers became tighter, as he poured his frustration out into my hand. He realized what he had done and immediately loosened his grip.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"It's okay," I replied. "So…who was the asshole in the limo? The one who keeps trying to get me to sabotage you."

"His name is Marcus Rose. But he isn't the main buyer. He works for his brother, Aro, who's the one we have to worry about. I haven't been able to get a line on the brother, which is one of the reasons it's taking so long to figure out how to handle these assholes. When my partner went to find a buyer, he set up appointments with horrible people. Terrorists. Shady governments. Seeing how much something like this could make for him. The chemical we created is extremely potent. If released, a couple of drops could wipe out every living being within a few feet of exposure and do it within minutes. However, there was an accident, and he fell victim to the very solution he was co-responsible for creating. When I realized what he was planning to do, I destroyed all our notes and evidence. Well…I memorized everything worth knowing, and unfortunately, these men have been after it ever since."

"You destroyed the substance?" I asked.

Edward looked away and focused his eyes on the wall. "No," he whispered. "I'm close. I'm so close to figuring out how to turn this horrible thing I created into something wonderful. I have one small vial left, and I can't bring myself to destroy it. I have no one to trust…to help me complete this."

"And that's what they're after?"

He nodded.

"Where is it?" I asked slowly.

Edward sighed and looked back to the wall. My eyes followed his line of sight to that horrible paint splatter "art" there, and involuntarily, my body moved back a little.

"Please, tell me you're fucking kidding me," I said.

I stood up and began to back away, as if at any moment, the wall would explode and kill us both.

"Bella," Edward warned. "It can't hurt you while inside. I took extreme measures and precautions."

"The fuck you say! You have to be fucking kidding me! That thing should be locked in some facility behind iron doors and near people in biohazard suits!" I began to get a little louder.

"Bella!"

"NO! You tell me this whole story, and I'm okay with every part of it. I understand why I have to be kept on a short leash, that's fine! Great! But then you tell me you have a highly unstable substance just feet away from where we fuck? What if we were to have angry wall sex, and you accidentally slammed me into the wall too hard, or more likely, what if I tripped and fell through the wall, your crazy killer virus popping out to greet me? I saw _Outbreak, 28 Days Later_ , and _World War Z_ , and no matter how hot Brad Pitt was, no one can sexy up a deadly virus!"

"Bella! Like I said, I created a safe structure to maintain it. Even if this house was bulldozed, it'd be contained and destroyed without ever seeing the light of day. Which is why I'm telling you this. If something happens to me, I need you to destroy it."

"And how the fuck am I supposed to do that?" I yelled. "I'm so slow, you have to use the small words to even explain to me what it is!"

Edward let out a loud, frustrated grunt. He walked over to the wall and pulled the painting down off it to reveal a keypad.

"All you have to do is type any combination into the keypad, and it'll automatically destroy the contents. I'm the only person to have the correct combination. It only gives you one chance to put in the correct code."

I saw the keypad light up like the Fourth of July, but it made me far too nervous. This once safe house that could protect me from even a hurricane had just become the one place I didn't want to be. How could I be expected to sleep within a couple of feet of something so dangerous? Hell, a couple of miles would be too close. I had always felt that Edward was the brains of this operation. I understood his desire and obsession with completing this project. Curing cancer, even thirty-something percent of cancer, would be huge. Speaking from someone who had lost her mother to it, I knew I would be grateful, but I doubted my mother would have wanted me here right now, standing next to this deadly virus.

Edward's eyes were trained on me, as I looked at the keypad. I wanted to be the supportive girlfriend he needed, but this was asking too much. The shackles were heavy, and the walls of his massive bedroom were suddenly making me feel as if I was trapped in a port-a-potty after a frat house had just built a mountain.

My feet slowly backed away from the wall.

"Bella," Edward said my name once again. I would swear he could give Vin Diesel a run for his money in _Guardians of the Galaxy_.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

I turned and bolted, and my mind was running so wild, I was amazed I was down the steps and heading toward the front door without tripping. I saw the Clearwater duo jump up from their seats, and I didn't even care if they followed me, as long as they let me go. The front door opened, and I pushed past another expensive suit in my quest to get out of the house quickly. I never even looked at their face as I passed. Probably a good thing.

The cold air hit my face, and I could finally breathe once again. The woods that surrounded Edward's space house calmed me, and I felt the desire to pick a tree and hug it.

It was too much. It was all too much. Jessica. Killer viruses. Killer terrorists. The killer knot in my stomach from being farther from Edward. What did this all mean? Were we going to still be together, if I couldn't bring myself to live with that extra special killer roommate?

I walked a few paces into the tree line and found a tree to lean against, while I came down from the latest "Extra, Extra" news flash. My hands were on my head, as I concentrated on the dirt below my butt, and the dampness from the ground was slowly seeping into my pants. I felt foolish for not having a jacket on me. I saw the infamous brother-sister duo standing about twenty feet away from me, attempting to keep their backs to me to give me the illusion of privacy.

Say for a minute I was smart enough to be the President of the United States. I would turn down the job, just at the very idea of having to be followed everywhere. God, why did people want this kind of life?

Edward walked up to Seth and dismissed them. He had a coat in his hands and walked slowly in my direction.

"I know. I know," I said, holding my hands up. "Let me guess. 'Bella, please, come back inside where it's safe. Please, come back inside, because right now, I want to gamble that my extra special cocktail is safer than the crazy men who are after you.' Does that sound about right?"

"Would you please put this coat on?" Edward requested, ignoring my sarcasm.

"Dying of hypothermia seems far more appealing to me than what's behind door number one or door number two."

Then, Edward did something that I still couldn't believe. He crouched down in this expensive-ass suit. I think door number three would have been a heart attack if his knee made contact with the forest floor.

"Bella, we can go somewhere else. If you don't feel safe here, we can go somewhere else. You're always going to come first. Whatever you need, just ask for it, and I'll make it happen."

I saw the sincerity in his eyes and heard the words I wanted, but something didn't sit right with me.

"You make me feel like you're saying you'll choose me over the possibility of curing millions of people. You need to work on your solution…substance…virus…whatever the hell it is. I don't want to stand between you and that, but that doesn't mean I want to sleep next to it."

I sighed and leaned my head back, tilting until it hit the rough tree bark.

"When it's safe, I'll find a facility to move the vial to. Until then, we can go and live somewhere else. I can't move it now. Not until I figure a way out of this mess."

"Okay, I know this is going to sound a little stupid, but why not just call the police?" I asked.

"Bella, the police would alert the Feds, and either one of two things would happen. My solution would be destroyed, along with all my hard work from the past eight years, or worse, it'd be used improperly, as everyone else who's corrupt wishes to do. I need to figure this out first, before I involve them in any way."

I rolled the marbles around in my head, as I pondered what to do.

"Edward," I bit my lip, wondering if now was the proper time to bring up my silly relationship concerns. "I…I…have to ask you something. I need you to be completely honest with me, no matter how you may think it could hurt my feelings."

Edward stood up from his crouch. "Fine, but first, I need you to put this coat on."

He helped me up, and I dusted the dirt from off my expensive slacks. I pulled the coat onto my body and felt instantly better…still able to breathe in fresh air, but warm and cozy, too. Edward held my hands in his for extra warmth. At least that was what I told myself.

I thought about what I wanted to ask and how I would ask it, but then I saw the Clearwater clan standing on the steps of the house, and it brought me back into reality. Now was not the time for my silly love…I mean like…issues. Crap! Where was Rosalie when I needed her!

"You know what, never mind," I apologized, before attempting to pull my hands back.

"What is it, Bella? You can tell me anything. After everything I've put you through today, no matter what you have to say, I'm sure I'm to be blamed for far worse."

I let go of his hands and turned to stumble around the forest. I would have loved nothing more than to make a very unladylike sound, but I refrained, because ladies who had rich-ass boyfriends needed to act better.

"There's too much going on right now. I need Rosalie! Goddammit! Where the fuck is my best friend!"

Ladylike? This lady just took a hike. Reason three-thousand and thirty-three why I would make a horrible billionaire wife.

"You need to talk to Rosalie?" Edward asked softly.

I felt my tears begin to run down my face, and I hated that I was about to sound like some _Bachelor_ reject, sitting in the back of a limo, seriously wondering why I couldn't find love.

"I feel like I'm drowning. I need my friend. She'd tell me I'm being stupid and to calm the fuck down, and then I would."

Edward sighed. "Okay, then you can call her. Come back to the house, and I'll make the arrangements to get ahold of her. On one condition."

I waited to hear his condition, but knowing my crazy brain, I would happily say yes to anything.

"You have to talk to me afterward. Can you trust me after what I've done?"

"Trust you?" I wondered.

"After what I told you today. I know you must think the worst of me. I know I should've destroyed the sample, and then…maybe all this would be over. You have every right to hate me for what I've done. I made this mess, and now, you're completely strained. Since you came into my life, I wish I could go back and change everything. I would've been much happier if we could just…have our happily ever after."

I felt numb from his words, and it wasn't because my face felt like it was going to freeze off any second. He was worried about completely different things than I was.

"Edward, we're so not even on the same page. Hell, the same book. I don't want to sleep next to your killer virus, but that doesn't mean I hate you. I know I should be thinking about this big mess and make that my priority. I know I should be thinking more about Jessica and coming up with some Burberry bouquet to send her parents and expressing my condolences. I should be making your Clearwater SWAT team my main concern, but what I worry about is trivial in comparison." I sighed and then decided to forgo my call to Rosalie. "I don't think I'm the girl you fell in love with anymore."

Edward's eyes were amassing with confusion, but before he could contradict my words, I went on to explain as best I could.

"Since I've come to know you, I feel like I'm not the same person I was previously. Before, you thought I was this Xena, Warrior Princess, who could fight big hunky seniors with my daddy's shotgun. Well…I guess that'd make me more Annie Oakley, come to think of it." I shook the crazies out of my brain and continued. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm not brave anymore. I used to not care if I was hurt or killed. Hell, I even told that crazy asshole in the limo he could kill me before I'd ever betray you."

"I know," Edward complained.

"My point is that, the reasons you fell in love with me are no longer there. I can't even go a day without crying, it seems, and I hate it! I hate how weak I've become. I hate that I cry all the time now. I feel like a child."

Edward smiled at me, and I nearly punched him in the face for it. Why the hell was this man smiling? He walked over and ran his hand through my hair.

"You cry because…you have something to lose. You may not want to say the words, but you just did." He leaned down to kiss my head. "I love you, too, Bella."

I scrunched up my face. "No…that's not the point. The point is that you shouldn't love me anymore."

"Well, you don't get to decide that. Honey, you're only confused right now, because this is all so new to you."

I huffed and stepped back. "Well, according to the notches on your bedpost, or lack thereof, I'd say you're new to this as well, so maybe you don't know what you're feeling. Maybe what you think is love is just…desperation or something."

Edward took me by the hand without responding and began to walk back toward the house.

"Call Rosalie. She'll sort you out, but thank you again, baby. You have no idea how great it feels to know that we're on the same page."

I danced out of his grasp and jumped around him, flailing my arms, while he continued toward the house.

"Are you not listening to me? Typical male, I tell you. You just hear what you want!"

Edward nodded and gave me an, "Um-hum," attempting to placate me, but I wasn't done with him yet. Leah opened the door for us and walked through, while I continued my arguments.

"Will you please take me seriously? I didn't say the 'L' word, so stop acting like I did!"

My feet skidded to a halt, when I turned and saw the man in the expensive suit who had entered earlier, while I had been trying to escape the house. I felt my blood run cold and my whole-body tremble. I stepped in front of Edward protectively. Stupid, I know. As if someone like me could ever protect Edward.

"Edward, he…he…he works for the asshole. He works for Marcus Rose."

Edward stepped out from behind me and gave me a gentle squeeze. "No, honey, he works for me. This is Jacob. I'm hoping he'll be the one to save us all."

I looked Jacob over, and he seemed about as smug as he had been, when he had been sitting in the limousine. Sure, his navy suit hugged his body just enough to give a very impressive show of his physique, and the three-day shadow on his face made the right attempt to lure a certain eye. A short movie played in my mind of the moments we had shared, and then I felt my blood begin to boil. This asshole was the one who had suggested that they threaten Rosalie's life to get me to comply.

I walked the five steps over to this Jacob and reared back, and then with all my force, I slugged him in the face as hard as I could.

Would you look at that? I guessed there was a bit of the old girl still left inside me after all.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for all of your support and for continuing on.**

 **Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing.**

 **DISCLAIMER: Story is mine. Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

"What the fuck!"

If it wasn't for Edward's quick intervention, I would have made sure Jacob would have been sputtering a few more expletives by the time I was done with him. As it was, I didn't even get the chance to practice a few moves I had seen on many episodes of _Maury,_ since Edward literally pulled me off and away from Jacob.

"BELLA!"

"That asshole told them to go after Rosalie!" I screamed. I turned back to Jacob, who was holding his nose. "You're the reason she isn't here. You're the reason she's on their radar!"

"No! You're the reason!" Jacob yelled back. "You told them to kill you. If it wasn't for my quick thinking, they would've done it. You have no sense of self-preservation. Telling a guy who has a gun on you to shoot you, and even now, trying to stand between Edward and I like some sacrificial lamb, you're insane!"

I took a threatening step in his direction. "I don't back down to bullies, no matter what the consequences."

"Bella," Edward pulled me back and took my hand to examine it.

"I didn't break it. I know how to punch a guy without breaking my hand, even though I may not be smart otherwise," I hissed, still fired up.

"That's for damn sure," Jacob scoffed.

"ENOUGH!" Edward yelled. "Both of you, that's enough!"

I huffed and returned to my corner. The Clearwater's were in perfect formation, waiting to see if they needed to step in.

"Bella, I'll talk to you about Jacob later. Go up and pack a bag in the meantime," Edward ordered.

"Talk to me about what, exactly? He's your inside man, and he seems to be doing a bang-up job. I'd imagine we'll all be dead by Christmas at the rate he's going," I replied sarcastically.

"Bella."

"You think telling a goon like Marcus Rose to go fuck himself makes you Buffy the Vampire Slayer? You have no idea the shit I've gone through to keep everyone safe, including you. Spoiled. Desperate. Housewife!" Jacob spat.

Edward stepped in between us once again. "I told you that was enough! Bella, go upstairs and pack a bag! I'm not asking. I'm telling you. If you don't want to stay here, then be prepared to leave in thirty," he said then turned to Jacob, "and stop antagonizing my girlfriend!"

I narrowed my eyes at Jacob. Oh yeah! I had a good menacing stare. I sighed and looked over to the Clearwater camp.

"Okay, so, is it Tweedle-dee or Tweedle-dum who'll be following me upstairs?"

I think I pushed Edward a little too far. I saw his whole body go rigid, before he gave me a menacing stare, and as much as I hated to admit it, his was better than mine.

"Would you please excuse us for a moment?" Edward spat, before grabbing me by the elbow and pulling me towards the stairs. I looked back and saw Jacob was entertained by the show. I flipped him off, before Edward squeezed my arm, roughly dragging me up the stairs, until we were in the closet of clothes he had bought for me.

"Bella!" He released my arm and started in on me. "What's the matter with you?"

Oh, great, I felt a lecture beginning in Hall H, and I wasn't prepared with the proper notation devices. I crossed my arms over my chest and prepared for the tongue lashing that was sure to commence.

"I'm doing everything in my power to keep you alive and safe, and you're making it very difficult. You'll be treating the Clearwater's with the respect they deserve. They're assiduous, and if you try and run them off, I'll go to extreme measures to see to your safety, and I'll not care if it causes you distress or violates your privacy. Do you understand?"

His emerald green eyes were focused on me, but I trained my eyes on the super cute boots in the corner. Those puppies were definitely going in my overnight bag.

"Bella!"

"Yes, I understand. Well, everything but assiduous, but I can pick up a dictionary later if you'd prefer."

"The time for jokes is over!" he snapped.

I laughed. "Um...yeah, I'd imagine you're right. When did the jokes end? Was it when Jacob gave those assholes Rosalie's name? Or maybe it was when he took part in Jessica's murder!"

We were so not done here, ladies and gentlemen.

Edward's hands straightened out in an attempt to calm himself before replying.

"I approved the Rosalie issue. Jacob told me what happened, and if it meant keeping you alive, then I'd see to it that Miss Hale was kept safe. How do you think she met Emmett? I didn't foresee their romantic relations, but you gave Jacob no choice, when you foolishly did what you did. Which, by the way, I'm not happy about. You're not expendable, and the sooner you learn that, the easier it'll be on myself and my team.

"As for Jessica, Jacob was about to brief me on the situation, but I'm sure he held no involvement in her death, as I've made it quite clear to Mr. Black that, if a situation were to arise, he's to disengage himself from the faction and report back to me for final payment. I'm willing to share all information with you later, once we've settled back into our apartment. Now, can I leave you to pack, or do we need to discuss anything further, so you don't feel the need to act out on my staff?"

I turned around and walked over toward the hangers and stared at the clothes. "I'm fine," I replied.

I was _so_ not fine.

I waited until I could hear the Ferragamo feet exit stage right, before I calmed myself down enough to find a suitcase. The feet walked back a few paces and parked behind me. I felt Edward's gentle hand come up and caress my arm. His nose ran along my neck, before he surrendered a soft kiss on my shoulder.

"Please, don't be upset with me, Isabella. I need you. I can't do this without you."

I sighed, but I remained stoic. "No offense, but I think what you mean to say is that you can't do this without Jacob."

Edward came around in front of me, pushing the clothes to the side. "Bella."

"No! Don't Bella me. He knows far more than I ever have. It's obvious you believe either one of two things. You think I'm, one, too stupid to understand the complexity of these problems, which forces you to leave me in the dark, or two, I'm unimportant. Now, I know I'm not the brightest star on the Walk of Fame, which leads me to lean toward number one, but with you, who has the ability to affect thousands of people, I could go for number two as well. No matter how many times you say you…you…you know," I sputtered, attempting to keep the "L" word in question out for now.

"Love you!" he stated. "I love you, Bella, and I don't think you're stupid, expendable, or unimportant. I've not told you certain things, because I'm trying to protect you. My sole purpose in life is to make you happy, and bringing my criminal affairs into your world was never something I wanted, especially when I think about our happily ever after. But I trust you more than anyone."

I scoffed and tried to turn away, before he grabbed me by the shoulders and forced me to look him in the eyes. Those damn perfect green eyes.

"I mean it. I've not told a soul where I keep the sample. You're the first. I told you, because I know I can trust you to do the right thing if something were to happen to me. So, please. Please, just tell me that, if something were to happen, you'll do as I asked and destroy it."

I could feel his desperation and see his concern written all over his face. Worry lines etched into the face of someone so young was usually not possible, but I guessed when you carried such a weight on your shoulders, it was easily explained.

Our day seemed to last far more than twenty-four hours. Worst day ever. Well…come to think about it, maybe not the _worst_ day ever, but pretty damn close.

"Poison behind the Pollack. Got it!" I said with a thumbs up.

Edward stepped back slightly. "Bella, I'm impressed. I never imagined you were versed in artistic culture and history."

Great, he actually _had_ paid a lot for that crap on the wall.

"As much as I'd love to be offended by your tone, you're right. I'm not versed in artistic culture. I took a wild stab. After all, who else would splatter paint on a canvas and swindle billionaires out of their hard-earned pocket money? Side note, I once sat through nearly an hour of that god-awful Pollack film during a seven-hour movie hop relay, and let me tell you, talk about boring!"

"Movie hop?" Edward questioned.

"Yeah, you know, when a person pays for one movie ticket, and then after the feature is over, they jump into another theatre, so they can get two for the price of one? Or in my case, seven for the price of one."

Edward gave me that look, and I was so ready. He so did not want to tangle with this tiger.

"Bella, that's stealing," he replied superiorly.

"Really? You want to go there? This coming from a man who's housing a compound I'm sure the CDC would rate a level four on their biosafety level pathogens list? You want to run that lecture by me one more time on stealing from billion-dollar movie companies?"

Edward's mouth dropped open, and I knew it was not my argument that had him reeling, but the fact that I knew the different levels of biosafety.

"What? I watch television," I shrugged. "People always think you can't learn anything from television unless it's on the Discovery Channel, but I'll have you know my knowledge is vast and widespread. Never underestimate me."

He stepped back a pace and held up his hands in surrender. "I learned that lesson a long time ago. Now, do you think you can manage to put together a bag, so we may leave soon?"

I rolled my eyes and looked at the clothing in the closet once more. "I'm a good girl, I am," I replied in my best Eliza Doolittle accent.

Edward looked confused once again, and I smirked. Somehow, by the time I was done with him, he would be able to hold his own in a pop culture conversation.

"So…I can send up a Clearwater, and you'll not harass them?" he questioned.

I gave him the flutter of my hand, indicating for him to go ahead, as I turned to look for a suitable container to begin packing.

"They really are a good team. Please, give them a chance. They come with certain stipulations for taking this job. One of them being full cooperation on all our parts, so don't pester them."

I stopped what I was doing and stood back up to look at him.

"You're kidding me, right? I thought you were paying them. How are they bossing you around?"

His eyes searched the heavens, as he scoffed and shook his head in dismay.

"Bella, this is the way things work with private security. You put your faith in these people, because they ultimately know more than you do. No person is going to sign up to be the bodyguard to someone who'll do everything in their power to thwart security measures."

"Are you sure about that? Because I saw _The Bodyguard,_ and Whitney Houston so did not give Kevin Costner the time of day when it came to listening to what he thought was best."

I loved giving arguments Edward couldn't follow or compete with.

"And in not listening to Kevin Costner, she ultimately got the man she loved shot," he replied with the challenging raise of an eyebrow.

I felt like he had just hit me in the face with a two-by-four. I could hear a noise coming from my mouth I knew sounded like I was a broken toy.

"Okay, when I'm...done having my aneurysm on how you could possibly know that, I'll have an...an amazing comeback!" I sputtered, waving a threatening finger in his direction. Edward looked like he was the king of the smug-faced castle.

He took a mini victory lap in the closet, which included kissing the loser on the cheek, before walking out with a fist pump in the air. Well, Edward's idea of a fist pump, which I could not even began to describe.

"Be ready to leave soon!"

I huffed and returned to my closet, while every Whitney Houston song ran through my head, so I could try and remember that god-awful flick. I began to toss my things into a Louie Vuitton trunk, including the cute boots I had seen earlier. Every once in a while, my eyes would pass by the direction of Edward's master bedroom, where the killer virus was contained, and a shiver would run up and down my spine. I think I broke records that day for all women-kind in the packing Olympics.

I would say, it felt weird going through and packing clothes I had not purchased. I felt like I was in a boutique and going about the closet like I was shopping. Something was wrong with this picture. Edward shouldn't have bought all this stuff for me. I was only able to take lavish items on loan. If something should happen to our relationship, I would make sure he received all items back. Those thoughts only made me feel slightly better.

Thankfully, Edward refrained from sending up a Clearwater to make sure I was safe. I found it funny that, if they only knew of the threat that was looming in the walls, they might have to reassess their priorities when it came to imminent danger.

I left the trunk at the top of the stairs, fearing what would happen if I attempted to bring it down myself. I passed by the Clearwater's, who immediately ceased conversation at my appearance. Not creepy at all. I was sure they were discussing the weather or football.

"I'm just going to the kitchen. No need to follow," I announced, hoping they would heel.

I bounced out of their view, so they could continue their super-secret convo, and dashed through the swinging doors to Edward's kitchen, only to come face to face with HIM!

"Ugh, what are you doing here?" I snapped, seeing Jacob sitting pretty like he owned the joint.

"Edward was done with me, so I'm making myself a quick bite before I head back out. What's it to you, princess?"

"Princess?" I scoffed. "I'm pretty sure I'm more financially strapped than you are."

"Uh-huh," he mumbled disbelievingly, before smashing his face into a double-decker sandwich. "That is until the prenup is drafted."

"Shouldn't you be getting back out there, double agent?" I asked, ignoring his scary words.

I walked over to the fridge and saw the list of items it stated I should discard. I began to pull the expired food out and put it on the counter. I wasn't sure when we would be back in the area, and I knew Edward would appreciate the gesture.

"I'm waiting until you guys leave. I don't have to get back till later."

"So, is there a plan, or are we supposed to just wait until you figure out a move to make?"

Jacob dropped his sandwich back down to the plate and wiped the mustard from the corners of his mouth.

"You think I'm going to share my plans with a girl who'd walk up to Marcus Rose and offer herself up like a Thanksgiving turkey if given half the chance? You just keep your mind on manicures and blow-outs, and I'll attend to the dangerous stuff. That's what you're paying me for," he replied.

"I ain't paying you shit. If I had any say in how Edward's finances were spent, do you really think I'd hire someone as incompetent as you?"

"Oh, that's right. You're just the little woman. I'm sure your hubby signs all the checks and makes sure you're given a decent allowance to run around and buy clothes and purses."

That burned.

"First off, we aren't married, and I don't take money from Edward." I paused. "Well...I mean I do, but that's only because I'm his assistant. But I work for that."

Jacob laughed and picked his sandwich back up. He began pulling out some of the tomatoes before taking another bite.

"I'm sure you do," he smirked. "I'm sure his fourth-quarter earnings will be up from all the...assisting you do."

I caught his innuendos, and it made my blood boil, because he was right. I mean, I wasn't competent for the position. I was an over-glorified prostitute. My unique qualifications could all be found in my panties.

"I'm sure you and Edward will get married someday. Mostly because I've never seen him serious about a girl before, and then what? What are you going to do then, Bella? Are you going to be another bored, desperate housewife, shagging the cable repairman? Or are you going to continue being the bright-eyed...not-so-bright assistant, reporting for services as needed?"

"Yeah, and what exactly have you brought to the human race with your existence?" I spat.

Every single word Jacob Black said stabbed me like a sword to my chest.

"I'm putting my life on the line, so you can go to bed at night and not worry about finding a gun in your mouth in the morning. I get paid a shit-ton of money, and pretty soon after this job, I'll have enough to retire to a nice little island in the Caribbean, where I can spend my days lying on the beach, while delicious, coconut-oiled beauties tend to me. See, at least I have a dream."

"And a hell of a dream that is. Please, do the world a favor and get snipped. Lord knows we don't need you procreating."

I tossed all the expired items in the trash and pulled out the bag of the trashcan and tied it off.

"In fact, why don't you take the trash out when you go. You two should get along famously, since you're made of the same substance."

I dropped the bag at his feet and grabbed a bottle of water, before I would find a different place to dwell.

"Ah, come on. Don't leave now. I'm having far too much fun," Jacob whined.

I didn't know what it was, but something inside me snapped. True, it had been a long day, and I had been feeling overly-emotional for the majority of it, but talking to Jacob was the final straw.

"I don't need to sit here and listen to you, while you tell me I'm nothing more than a brainless, gold-digging whore whose ambitionless existence will lead me down the path of spending my days fucking a billionaire for a decently high-limit credit card."

I stormed out of the kitchen and headed toward the front door. I saw the Clearwater's jump up from their place, ready to join me.

"Tell Edward I'll be in the car," I declared.

I walked toward the front door and remembered there was no door handle. Instead, there was a glowing white circle. I placed my hand on it, and it turned red. I pounded my fist on the door that didn't budge and let out a scream of frustration.

Damn space house!

The girl Clearwater walked up and placed her hand on the white disk, making it turn green, and then the door opened. I muttered out a thank you and continued outside.

It didn't take more than two minutes before Edward was joining me in the car, my trunk being brought out by the male Clearwater.

"Honey, is something the matter? Seth said you wanted to leave urgently."

I leaned back in the passenger seat and closed my eyes. "I'm tired, and it's been a long day. I just want to go to bed, if that's not too much trouble."

Edward didn't push, even though I could tell he wanted to. Perhaps he was learning.

We arrived back to the Cullen Conglomerate building. Once I was in the apartment, I immediately headed off to the bathroom. I locked the door and went for the toilet. I unzipped my slacks and sat down, and there, staring me right in the face, was something that instantly made me feel a little better.

Most girls got upset when they would catch sight of scarlet-marked panties, but I always welcomed Aunt Flo with arms wide open. A happy period meant no baby. Even though I was habitual with my birth control injections, I always feared that point one percent or whatever that could lead to...well...Edward's dream.

At least now I understood where all the crazy was coming from. My hormones were driving the Uber in my behaviorally-enhanced feelings. That was why Jacob's words were having such a bad aftertaste effect on me. Normally, I would find everything he had said to be comical. I mean...who cared if I had no direction in life, or if I was never seen as anything more than a gold-digging wife?

WIFE! GAH!

Oh, my god, I couldn't be a wife. I couldn't even say the "L" word! I stared down at my marked panties and told myself that this hyperventilating session was being brought to me courtesy of Aunt Flo. _Calm down, Bella. Calm down._

But I didn't calm down. I couldn't. I lay awake in bed, while Edward wrapped his body around mine. He agreed that I was too tired to discuss anything further that evening, and instead, he passed out alongside me. I, however, lay staring at the ceiling, while I went over some serious life choices.

I felt my heart begin to race and then slow. Race at the thought of being adorned in white with a preggo tummy, as I tripped clumsily down the aisle, and all the guests were whispering that I was only in this for the money. Edward stood at the end of the money-strewn aisle, and instead of a priest, there was a prenup.

Then, my heart slowed, when I felt Edward's hands run down my body while he slept. A happy little smile rested on his lips.

I needed something. No, I needed _someone_. I needed Rosalie.

I untangled Edward from my body and pulled on a robe that lay on the chair beside the bed. I looked over and saw Edward's cell phone lying on the side table. I took a breath before picking it up and hoped he hadn't changed his five-digit passcode I had caught while he had taken care of me when I had been ill.

Edward said the Clearwater's would take shifts throughout the night. They would stay in Edward's office below the apartment on standby. I knew I should go there, but I didn't want Seth or Leah overhearing my conversation. But I knew I needed to be safe, so I remained in the building and headed toward the lobby, where I knew the night security would be close by if something happened.

I pulled up Emmett's phone number and stood outside the private elevator on the first floor, biting my nails, while I heard it begin to ring.

 _Come on, Rosalie. I need you, girl. You're the only one who can calm the crazy._

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for taking the time to read and review. I have been so happy with the love for this story.**

 **Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing.**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER**.


	22. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

"Hello?"

Emmett.

"Hellllloooo. Edward?"

"Uh…no, actually, it's me, Bella. Is Rosalie there?"

My eyes darted around the small alcove near the main lobby. I tried to keep my voice down. Why bother the night security if it could be avoided? I watched as cars outside the building drove past, and I saw that the nightlife had died down in this part of the city.

"Bella? Does Edward know you have his phone?"

I bristled at the question.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? I can't call my own BFF? Just put Rosalie on the phone!" I heard my voice rise an octave, and I immediately backed down. I didn't want security to call and wake Edward up. I heard Emmett sigh into the phone, and then I heard his muffled voice talking to who I assumed was Rosalie.

"Bella?"

I felt like someone had just opened the door, and a fresh breath of air had come in and consumed me.

"Oh, Rosalie! Thank god, you're okay. I haven't heard from you, and I…I just needed someone to talk to. You have no idea how bat shit crazy I am over here, but enough on my mental status. How are you holding up?"

 _Get the pleasantries out of the way, so I can hop on to the more serious issues._

Hopefully, I could manage all of this in the next few minutes to avoid the lethal stares from Edward, if he were to awake and find his bed companion missing.

"Great, actually. I mean…you should see this place we're at. I feel like I'm on a never-ending vacation. You should see my tan," she boasted.

Great, I was on lockdown, and she was fifty shades of brown.

I heard a commotion on her side of the phone.

"I wasn't going to say over the phone where we are. I know the rules!" I heard Rosalie snipe at Emmett. "Sorry about that. How are you doing?"

How was I doing? There was a loaded question.

"I'm…"

I stopped and huffed.

"I'm…"

"Bella, just spit it out. According to Emmett, Edward will probably realize his phone is missing any second. We have to make this fast. Are you still having trouble with the love thing? Did Edward propose or something?"

Rosalie, always quick and to the point.

"God, I hope not. I mean…no, I haven't told him the 'L' word yet. But there was this guy who pretty much has me pegged. Well…besides the gold-digger comments, he said everything I think or feel about myself, and I hate him for it."

I heard nothing from her end for a long few seconds.

"Bella, you have to give me more to go on than that."

I sighed and began to pace around the small area in front of the private elevator.

"There's this guy who works for Edward, and he said some things to me. He thinks I'm a gold-digging whore who has no ambition in life but to see how fast I can spend through Edward's money once he puts a ring on it. Normally, I'd snap back a few witty expletives, and that'd be that, but…what if he's right? What if all I'm ever good for is spending money? Edward has accomplished…nearly everything…"

Including finding a cure for cancer. Well, pretty damn close, but seriously, how could I ever rise up to be equal to a man who could cure cancer?

"I need direction in life. I need to figure out how to be an equal, and with Edward…"

I didn't need to finish. Rosalie got it, I was sure. I heard her take a breath on her side of the phone. I envied her. She had it so easy. Sure, it took a money-grubbing terrorist to threaten her life to find Emmett, but she was so sure about everything. She was probably about as directionless as I was, but it didn't bother her. Why did it bother me so much?

"Bella, do you love Edward?"

I knew I did. Even if I couldn't verbalize it. Even if I couldn't admit it to myself. I knew these feelings in me. These conflicting feelings were all because I couldn't come to terms with…"L."

"Never mind. Don't answer that. Bella, do you think Edward loves you? I mean, really loves you. No matter what his mouth says, can you feel his love for you?"

I knew a blind monk in a strip club could figure out Edward just from the love signals he put off. The problem wasn't whether I believed Edward loved me, however.

"That's not the issue. My issue is more…why would he love me? I bring nothing to the partnership. I don't have money or educational degrees or certificates. I don't have a path or a goal that drives my life with purpose. I quite literally only bring the presence of pussy. Which he could get anywhere. Anytime."

I paused.

"He told me this story of how we first met, and I wonder if he feels…believes his feelings are just part of some boyhood crush that thrust me up on this pedestal that could break at any moment. What if…in the end…I'm not enough?"

"Bella, it's not for you to dissect the reasons why a person loves you. Love is a gift. The greatest gift, and it doesn't have to come from a relationship balance. You might not think you bring anything to the table, but I have a feeling if Edward heard you, he'd probably want to smack you. And although I don't condone abuse, I wish I could be there, because you'd deserve someone to smack some sense in you.

"I'd imagine he'd love to have a word with the man who's made you question his love as well. Who cares if you haven't figured out your life's mission? I think most people would be pretty damn happy if, in the end, no matter what their IQ or career was, they found happiness. So, make that your mission. Stop questioning everything, just let Edward love you, and find your happiness."

It was like my period climbed back up my hole and was ready to set my hormones to hibernate. This was exactly what I needed. I needed my friend. I needed someone to spell it out for me.

"Can I marry you?" I laughed.

I heard Rosalie's giggles. I tried to picture her on a beach with a coconut in her hand, sipping pina coladas, while she caught the warm breeze from the beach. Emmett, sitting beside her in a lounge chair, with sunscreen on the tip of his nose.

"Well, you might have some competition," she said lowly into the phone.

We ended our call after a few more minutes of shop talk. I was relieved that Edward slept harder than I thought. I turned to head back into the private elevator, when I saw a text come through. It was from a girl named Bree Tanner.

 _No, Bella. Don't be that girl. Don't be the jealous girlfriend who steals your man's phone and then does surveillance._

The elevator doors opened, and my foot paused, but then I backed out and allowed the doors to close.

I tapped on the message.

 _Have everything ready for Saturday night. Can't wait. Let me know when you arrive at the hotel. I'll show you to the room._

I felt my period damn burst forth, and I was tempted to call Rosalie back immediately. I searched the call log for this Bree's number and was surprised to see Esme's name pop up so many times. My mind did a detour from the cheating scandal that TMZ wanted to broadcast and focused on all the calls and their corresponding lengths. Even before we had met, there were calls to her. I thought he never wanted to talk to his mom.

 _Snap out of it. We have much bigger worries than the mama's boy angle._

Bree Tanner.

 _Okay, let's see what other messages you two have sent to one another._

Just as I was tapping on her name, the elevator doors opened once more, and the sight of Edward had me dropping his phone in surprise.

"Bella!" he hissed. "What are you doing down here?"

I scrambled to pick up the phone and tried to exit out of the text messaging screen.

"Uh...I...uh…"

"And without protection!"

He was so worked up over my safety breach crimes, he hadn't even noticed that I had his phone.

"I just…needed…"

I was completely flustered. Caught with a red hand in the cookie jar. That was how the saying went, right?

He stared at me wide-eyed, waiting for me to give him an explanation.

"I needed to talk to Rosalie," I replied, biting down on my lips and slowly holding his phone up to him.

His eyes focused on the phone, and he looked like he had just started _his_ period. His eyes closed, and he took a long, calming breath, before reaching out to take the phone from my outstretched hand.

"You couldn't have asked first? You know I would've put you in contact if you wished to speak to your friend."

I knew I should have felt remorse, but Bree Tanner was bouncing around in my head like a nineties screensaver.

"Sorry," I whispered.

Ask him. Ask HIM. ASK HIM!

"We need to get you back upstairs."

He pulled me into the elevator, and the extremely small box shot us up to the sky. I felt like I had left my heart down on the first level.

"I mean it, Bella. You should've woken me up, or at the very least taken security with you. I don't know what I must do to get through to you the severity of the risks you take. Why can you not ever just listen!"

I felt some moisture form in the corners of my eyes. I hadn't heard a word of Edward's tirade. I pictured some leggy thing in a slutty accountant costume, hanging off the side of Edward's desk with her legs wide open. Slutty accountant, because I couldn't think of anything that would turn him on more than a CPA.

But this was Edward. Edward loved me. Right? Edward the Virgin Cullen wouldn't step out on me already, would he? Unless Bree provided much better sexual stimulation than I had been able to give. What if she whispered dirty nothings into his ear about fourth-quarter projections that made climax the IMAX of sex?

The doors opened, but I stood with my feet unmoving, held down by the weight of my everlasting notions. Edward sensed the shift in my mood and looked me over. Immediately, his rough exterior melted, and he took my hand.

"My apologies, Bella. I don't mean to be so harsh. I don't wish to see more tears. I'll try to reign in my anger."

I felt his arms come around my body, and I tried to hold back my thoughts long enough to cease the tear-fire and wait until he was back asleep, or I was left in private.

I was back in bed, with my body securely locked down for the night in Edward's tight embrace. I didn't feel well at all. I felt positively sick. Why couldn't I just get some lady-balls and ask him? I was sure there was a perfectly reasonable explanation.

I must have lay there half the night, fighting every urge to leave that bed and go back into Edward's phone to investigate more. A couple of times, I would have succeeded, that was if Edward's grip hadn't only tightened on me, whenever I would attempt to move out of the bed.

The smell of coffee making its way through the apartment was the only thing that would have gotten me to rise from the dead the next morning, even though Edward tried loudly to rouse me several times. Our morning was forced. I knew he sensed something was off. I was sure he thought it had to do with our very eventful day yesterday. We barely said more than ten words to one another, before I walked out of his office and headed toward my desk the next morning.

Angela was in already and smiled at me, even though she was on the phone and couldn't give me a proper greeting. I could hear her ordering something. Bagels, I think. I tapped through my many emails, before a mischievous idea popped into my head.

I took Bree Tanner's name from out of my mental Rolodex and tapped it into Edward's professional-slash-personal address book on Outlook. It popped up immediately. Her name, phone number and address. The address was in Las Vegas, Nevada. Curious and curiouser, my dear Alice. Somehow, I couldn't picture Edward in Vegas. The man couldn't even tap on an elevator button without his handy handkerchief. What would he ever do in the City of Sin? Wear a hazmat suit? A typical person could catch an STD from the pools in Vegas. Or so I had heard. Not like I would ever know firsthand.

"So, I ordered the bagels and spreads, and they should be here in thirty. I already printed up the agenda and have it waiting in the conference room," Angela announced, stealing my attention away.

"Conference room?"

What the hell was she talking about?

"The big meeting this morning with Mr. Cullen and the division heads…"

Oh, crap. What the hell was she talking about? I had been gone at Edward's parents' house, and then I had been stuck at Edward's place with the flu, and then my shenanigans yesterday had caused me to be so incredibly behind the curve.

"The…memo he asked me to send out…." Angela attempted to jog my memory.

"I'm so sorry, Angie, but I have no idea what you're talking about. I know I should be a better assistant, but let's be honest, I'm just an over-glorified hood ornament. I think you and I both know that. But I'll try my best to, at the very least, not be a hindrance to you, so perhaps you should just give me some menial filing or something in the meantime."

Angela bit down on her lip and gave me the old head tilt.

"The meeting is with the division heads to go over the newest faction and acquisitions for the Cullen Conglomerate. Mr. Cullen is going to officially announce today what the next area is he plans to conquer in the business world."

Color me puzzled. He never told me anything about this latest conquest. Angela must have thought I was a pure bedwarmer and nothing more. I mean, how did the man sleep with a girl and not tell her of his newest endeavors? Well…to be fair, I guessed we all had been focused a little on me lately.

"I don't think you're an over-glorified hood ornament. You may not be a traditional assistant, but you get things done. Need I remind you about the center you made possible for baby Ben?"

Oh, yeah…

Angela began to walk back to her desk, and I momentarily forgot about Bree Tanner. I had half a mind to go back in and ask Edward what the meeting was about, but I refrained and attempted to act professionally. Side note: I _so_ should have gone in and asked him, before I embarrassed myself in the meeting. Hindsight.

 _Be professional, Bella. Edward is your boss from eight to five and boyfriend after you clock out. Must begin separating Mr. Cullen from Edward._

I flounced around the office, putting myself to good use and doing just as I had told Angela I would. I filed nearly every scrap of paper that had been waiting on Angela's desk. I heard a commotion, as the division heads began to exit the elevator and pile into the conference room, where they devoured Angela's bagel spread. I couldn't help but look through the glass doors, as I watched the very important higher-ups mingle amongst themselves.

Let's just say for a second that Edward was able to talk me into planting his seed into my viable vessel. How would I raise a detail-orientated, overly-qualified individual like the men and women before me? I imagined prep schools, or worse, boarding schools. I felt a twinge at the loss of my imaginary child, as they were shipped off to some school in Switzerland. No, I couldn't do that. But then my mind traveled down a dark path. What if that was what it took to create a successful child? Being far away from his or her ambitionless mother?

Fuck it! I would go to Switzerland. My child could still get their overly high-priced education that Edward would pay for, but I would take many boats and trains to get my ass over there to stay in a modest home, so I could be with that child.

Then my mind thought of Edward, trapped here in his tower, with a wife and child on a Swiss sabbatical. What would he do without us?

Bree Tanner.

I pictured some leggy redhead like Tanya, pushing her ass-sets all over my man's desk.

"Bella?"

"I hate Switzerland!" I exclaimed, being snapped out of my dreams by Edward's hand on my shoulder.

"What?"

I looked over at him, and he had changed into the very best crisp dark suit with matching power tie. You would think his face would be so over the confused look by now and come to settle on complacency when dealing with his crazy girlfriend.

"Uh…nothing," I muttered.

Edward looked down at his ostentatious wristwatch. "We should go," he said softly.

"Go? Go where?" I was nervous. What if I'd said something out loud, and now he wanted to run away to Switzerland and make half Swiss babies who spent their days making cheese, chocolate, and knives?

"The meeting?" he said in that questioning voice. Mostly questioning my sanity, but maybe questioning his own, come to think of it.

"Why would I be in that meeting? I'm…just an assistant."

He stepped back and shook his head a little. "Of course, I want you in that meeting. It's the future. You should know what's happening in the company. I'm sure Angela saved you a seat."

Now, I was the confused one. I slowly turned and let Edward lead the way. Angela was sitting in a chair in the back of the room. A long, rectangular table was filled with impressive men and women who might or might not have spent their childhood in a Swiss boarding school.

"Thank you all for coming today," Edward began.

Every single person sat up a little straighter, as Edward walked to take his place at the head of the class. I slid into a chair next to Angela and took note of the division heads.

"As you all know, we all have been working tirelessly to see that my latest vision for this company is realized. I'm happy to announce that, after our inspection this weekend, we can officially buy Fantasia. The first in what I'm assured will be the very best hotel chain in the world."

Hotels? He was getting into hotels?

"I'll have my assistants send out all the information you'll need to be at our scheduled visitation of the site. So, please be ready to leave for Las Vegas on Friday morning."

Las Vegas.

I couldn't hear another word come out of Edward's mouth. Bree Tanner was from Las Vegas. She'd said she'd have the room ready for Edward on Saturday. Now, it all made sense. He knew I would never fly anywhere, so he was safe to have his tete-a-tete without any interruption from me.

"The schedule will be…"

"WHAT!"

I felt myself standing. I saw myself standing. I saw approximately twenty different pairs of eyes suddenly focused on me. Edward stood at the front with his mouth open from being interrupted by my latest outburst.

"I mean…I just found out that….Grey's Anatomy was canceled. I…I have to go."

Okay, points to me for the lamest excuse I could ever give. I fumbled my way out the door and toward the elevators. But I forgot my tag-along portable Clearwater.

I peeked my head around and shouted for a Clearwater, and one came jogging out. The male one. What was his name again?

"I have to go…out. I guess you're, like, supposed to follow me or something?"

He nodded once, and I smacked the button on the elevator. I didn't even bother with Edward's private elevator. Oddly enough, I felt comfortable with the strangers who joined us on our way down to the ground floor.

"Where are we heading to, Miss Swan?"

I sighed. I knew why male Clearwater asked. I was sure a text message was ready to be fired off the minute I gave confirmation of a location.

"I need some air."

Let him make of that what he wanted.

I knew where I was heading. With Edward the carb cop being on duty, I hadn't been given a satisfying breakfast that morning. Seth could fire off his text, once I arrived at my favorite hunting grounds.

A few blocks away from Edward's building was a beautiful fast food-lined street. McDonald's. Taco Bell. Carl's Jr. All waiting for my monetary donations. A chill ran over me, when I saw the Bacon Western Cheeseburger come into view.

The Clearwater didn't bat an eye, when I walked in and ordered my food, but his fingers were working fast and furiously on that keyboard on his phone. I grabbed my to-go order and then moseyed down the street to hit up the McDonald's. Carl's might have had good burgers, but they didn't corner the market on fries that could compare to McDonald's. I heard Seth clear his throat lightly, but a stare in his direction had his eyes reaching for the sky. _That's right. You don't get paid to judge._

I sat in the parking lot on a short brick wall and began to go through my bag of goodies. I saw how uncomfortable Seth was with my excursion, but I didn't care. My boyfriend was getting busy with some tart named Bree Tanner, and my insides felt like they were flooding the very wall I sat on.

I had my face smashed into my burger, when a fancy car just happened upon us. I looked over toward Seth with my hostile glare, but he made himself busy with checking the perimeter.

Edward stepped out of his fancy chauffeured car and adjusted his suit, before taking a mental picture of his so-called prized cow sitting on the stoop while chewing her cud.

"Why did you leave?"

His voice wasn't aggressive, but I could tell how irritated he was.

"Hungry."

He sighed and looked down at my wall, as he wavered in his mind whether he should join me and ruin his fine suit or stay standing.

"Bella, what the hell is going on? I know this has nothing to do with Grey's…Anatomy. Angela said there's been no word on any possible cancellation. She called Warner's."

I would have laughed if I wasn't so depressed. I stared at the gravel near Edward's sleek, polished shoes.

"Who's Bree Tanner?"

I had nothing left to lose. If this was the end, what a better way to finish than being walking distance to all the fast food I could gorge myself on. Suicide by cardiac arrest. Not a bad way to go.

Edward narrowed his eyes at me before straightening his stance.

"You were looking into my private messages."

I laughed short. "Okay…so, no denial," I mumbled under my breath.

"Bella, I have a right to be upset. I'm sure if the situation were reversed and I was snooping into your private affairs, you'd be very upset with me."

"Affairs. Good choice of words," I scoffed.

"There is no affair with Bree Tanner. She's working the Fantasia deal in Vegas. Her job is to make sure my division heads and I are kept happy and comfortable during our stay in Las Vegas."

"And just…how happy and comfortable is that?"

Edward's mouth dropped open at my implication. He took a slight step back and looked me over.

"Bella…are you jealous?" he asked with a slight smile on his face.

I threw my burger in its bag, and it dropped to the ground, when I jumped off my brick wall.

"What the hell do you find funny about this? You're supposed to be with me. I thought that's what it meant when we said exclusive. I didn't know we were supposed to bring a partner along with us. And who the hell names their hotel Fantasia! It's a stupid name that makes me think of True Blood or ballerina hippos or failed American Idols."

I might have embarrassed myself further by stomping my foot. The jury was still out on that one.

"Bella…I'm not having sexual relations with Bree Tanner. I'll never have sexual relations with anyone other than you. Is this why you've been so weird?"

"Sexual relations. Okay, Mr. Clinton."

I crossed my arms over my chest and turned away from him. I heard him sigh loudly before pulling out his phone.

"This is what I was having Bree set up for Saturday evening. I know how much you love movies and television shows, so I had Bree compile the best tourist places to see. She arranged a suite for us at the Bellagio, where that Ocean movie apparently took place. I don't really understand why anyone would film a movie about oceans in the middle of the desert, but she thought you'd like it."

I looked down at his phone and saw a short itinerary with famous movie scenes and where they had been filmed. I felt my whole body warm to his thoughtfulness. I nearly wanted to cry from embarrassment. It was quite possibly the sweetest gesture, if it weren't for one thing.

"Um…Edward…just how do you suppose I'll get to Las Vegas?"

Edward's eyes closed, and I saw him prepare for battle.

"Bella…"

"NO! I mean it. I'm not getting on that flying contraption ever again!"

Edward motioned his tense hands at me to calm down.

"Bella! I already spoke to my personal physician. He has a light sedative he can prescribe to calm you from your anxieties. Please…"

"Oh, great," I interrupted. "You plan to ruffie me like an unsuspecting freshman. I'm not taking drugs."

I reached down and grabbed my food bag.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with needing to seek medically needed pharmaceuticals. There's a reason my fourth-quarter numbers are so positive."

My mouth dropped open, as I thought back to the dirty talk mental conversation I'd just had. Could he read my mind? Where was the slutty accountant when you needed her?

"Bella, please, just get in the car, and we can talk about this."

"Talk about what? There's nothing to talk about."

I began to stomp off in the direction of dessert. Carmel Apple Empanadas from Taco Bell, but Edward stepped into my path.

"Need I remind you that you're still on the clock."

I scoffed at his attempt. "I'm on my federally mandated lunch break."

"Fine. Fine! I'll cancel the whole deal in Vegas!" Edward yelled, with his hands flying around. "If you think I'll leave you here alone, you're sorely mistaken. I'd rather a billion-dollar deal fell through, because you refuse to take a silly little pill."

I felt my heart clench painfully at his words. At the tone of his voice.

"You go do what you have to, but if this deal falls through, it won't be because I couldn't be bothered to take some tiny little pill. My apologies if my fears are inconveniencing you. I guess you chose poorly, Edward. The heroine who came to your rescue when you were a child doesn't exist. She was just a stupid little girl who was fucked up over the news of her mother's terminal cancer diagnosis. That's the only reason she rescued you that day. I'm not her. I'm not the girl you fell in love with. It's about damn time you figured that out, so you don't waste any more of your precious billion-dollar time."

I started to stomp off in the direction of the nearest Taco Bell. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Clearwater start his engine. I flipped around and put out my hand to stop him.

"You don't have to follow me anymore. I'm no longer your boss's problem. Leave me be!"

My heart felt torn. Somehow, all the Carmel Apple Empanadas in the world wouldn't help me now. I needed something stronger. I needed a bar. A really good bar. The kind that was so dirty and shady, you wondered why the cockroaches hadn't shut down the place yet. Who cared if it was barely noon? The bars were filled with people just like me this time of day. People with no jobs. No friends. No love.

Without my Clearwater copycat, I might be in danger, but who the hell cared anymore? Marcus Rose just might do me a favor in the end. I walked aimlessly, passing several bars, but I couldn't bring myself to go inside. I lied to myself and thought it was because they weren't shady enough, but in the end, I stood at a crossroads, wondering, what the hell should I do now?

To this day, I had no idea why I called the taxi service to come pick me up. I could not tell you the thought process it took for my next move. Like I'd said once before, I felt like I was some crappy chess piece in a game Edward had played for years, even if I didn't know this at the time of our fight. I felt more alone than I ever had before. It wasn't because Rosalie was not there. It wasn't because I had no job or home to call my own after leaving Edward behind. I had been alone for most of my life. This time, however, it was different. I had now known what it felt like to have someone care about me. Someone who I could laugh with. Someone who I cared about, too.

"Where to, Miss?"

The back of the taxi cab was about on par with the dive bar I had been searching for. It reeked of middle-eastern food, and the seats were torn from wear. Also, the scents of urine and possibly vomit wafted through the air.

"I hope you're up for a long drive, but I'm good for it," I replied, handing my card to the cab driver. "Can you take me to Sherwood, Oregon?"

* * *

 **AN: As always, thank you for your continued support for this story. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing.**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHANIE MEYER.**


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

Every one of my fingernails was bitten into the quick, as the driver drove on towards my destination. What a change from the fancy-ass car Edward had driven me home in the last time I had been in this neck of the woods. My nose had set up its own defense to the odors that had once made me nauseous, when I had first entered the dirty taxi. The tear in the leather seats was only deepened by my hand with my anxious thoughts, as I pondered what I should do upon my arrival. What was I doing, coming to Edward's family's house? I had only known them a few days, and I was sure they would think me mental for showing up on their doorstep, especially after breaking up with their son.

Mainly, I felt this need to seek out something I no longer had. Another part of me wasn't ready to let go of Edward. I knew I was the one who had left him in the lurch, but I didn't really want to go. Perhaps once he came back from his important business trip to Las Vegas, we could meet up again. He could go and do what he needed to and secure his next financial step, and I could stay safely on the ground, without having to drown my anxieties in drugs that apparently helped boost Edward's fourth-quarter earnings.

But what would happen the next time he needed to go away on business? He hadn't gotten to his status by staying in Seattle. We couldn't break up every time before a trip, right?

I didn't have a phone number to make the first contact. I could call around to the different hospitals to locate Dr. Carlisle Cullen. I was sure that wouldn't be a bizarre call at all to make. " _Hey, Daddy Cullen, I just broke up with your son in a McDonald's parking lot. Don't worry, Edward didn't partake in the poisonous fatty food, but do you think I could get a phone number, so I may speak to your daughter or wife about what direction my directionless life should take next? I'll hold."_ Right.

I could climb the tall iron gate and pray I didn't fall and break a bone, ending up in Daddy Cullen's hospital. I could arrive, and Alice might have gone back to France by now. Maybe I should use the last of my money to fly to France and spend my days calling out for Alice. Oh, wait. Then I would have to fly. Take a boat?

I shook my head at my absurdity and sighed, focusing my eyes on the world zooming past me. The car began to slow, and now, it was time to decide. My cab driver would leave me out in the middle of nowhere, with a phone having a charge of only three percent left. Hardly enough to make another call. Damn Candy Crush, taking up my battery on my three-hour tour.

The only positive note was that I had arrived, and there was still about an hour left of daylight. Plus, no rain. A huge win for me. I stepped out of the car, after signing the pricey receipt for my taxi ride. My whole body stretched, as I walked toward the iron gates. The cab driver zoomed off, and now, I was totally alone. I looked up and saw a camera pointed at the front gate, so naturally, I began to make wild hand gestures, trying to engage the person watching, in hopes that they would let down the drawbridge.

While in the middle of my tribal dance for the cameras, a car slowly approached. I felt relief run through my body. Maybe Daddy Cullen had come back from work. The door opened, but the shoe that stepped out from the backdoor was too recognizable.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.

Edward scoffed. His fingers danced along his suit coat to button himself back up once more.

"I believe I should be asking you that very question. This is _my_ parents' house, after all."

It was silly, but his words stung. I couldn't look him in the eye. I felt myself become insanely jealous. I didn't care about his money or opportunities. He had so much of what I desired, and he didn't even know it.

"I can't believe you followed me."

"Of course, I followed you. You can break up with me all you like, but I'm not going to let you run about without protection until the threat is neutralized. Whether it be me or one of the Clearwater's, someone will always be looking after you. Following you. Even if you ask them not to."

"Was that a threat?" I hissed.

Edward walked forward, until he was about a foot away from my face.

"Take it however you like."

I huffed and broke his penetrating gaze, admitting defeat, and yet feeling incredibly cared for, touched that he would feel the need to keep me safe, even after everything we had said to one another. Edward made a motion to his driver, and then he took my hand and pulled me along to the side of the gate. He produced an electronic key and waved it at a panel, and the gate began opening. The driver drove through and up out of sight in the direction of the house.

"I think a walk would do us some good," Edward said, gesturing for me to go.

Stiffly, I began to walk through the gate and down the path lined by the thick woods. I felt Edward walking behind me, and it unnerved me. What would he say when we reached the house? What would he tell his parents upon our arrival? The further we walked, the closer I could feel Edward coming to me, until our hands were nearly touching.

Suddenly, he grasped my hand and pulled me through the woods, away from the path.

"Where are we going?"

I tried to pull my hand away, so I could have my answers, but his grasp was firm. I tripped along the earth, over rocks and roots, but I never fell because of his strong hands. Edward finally stopped and then did something that still had me confused to this day. He began to pull off his suit coat, releasing the buttons at a rapid pace. Once he had the coat off, he attempted to put it on me.

"What the hell are you doing?" I exclaimed, as he wrapped me in the coat. He turned me back around, my face full of confusion. Then he leaned down and began to try and unbutton my black slacks.

He nearly had my pants down, when my brain caught up with my mouth.

"Edward, stop! What's with you? And…what's with me wearing your clothes? Does seeing me in your Valentino turn you on? Because we have more problems than I thought."

"I want to fuck you against a tree. Your shirt is thin, and I don't want to mar your skin with the roughness from the bark," he stated matter-of-factly.

I think I was even more confused than before. Was this how Edward felt being with me?

He took a step toward me, but my hand on his chest stopped him from advancing.

"Edward, I…I…don't really understand what compels you to think that now is the time, but…"

"It's the time. It's been over a week, and if there's one thing I've learned from you, you need this. Just let me fuck you, and then we can have an agreeable conversation on our issues."

Don't get me wrong, I was tempted. My eyes unknowingly looked about to the various trees to wager the best candidates. I shook my head of the preposterous notions and huffed. Any tree that would help us out would only be given the blood mark from my untimely womanly secretions.

"I wish I could. Sex in a forest would be a wonderful first, but…I can't," I said, biting my lip, annoyed at Aunt Flo for her unwelcomed stay. "I'm…with…period."

I felt the need to clarify, just in case his mind went down the wrong path that would lead to more fighting.

Edward's eyes looked down, and his head tilted ever so slightly, as his eyes took me in fully. Self-consciously, I placed my hands over my bloated stomach.

"Oh. Now, it all makes sense. No wonder you've been acting like this. I should've guessed."

He breathed out a sigh of relief.

"God, Bella. I'll see to a wise investment in an application that'll alert me with an approximation of your monthly hormonal issues. It'll save us from a lot of grief in the future, if I know to take extra care in my choice of words and actions to not upset you when you're dealing with your…affairs."

I rolled my eyes.

"I remember how you were last time you were plagued with this unfortunate trial. I believe you required bed rest and ice cream of some kind, yes?"

I groaned. "Okay, just hold on a minute. Before you pat yourself on the back for making discoveries about me that are simply untrue…the last time, I lied to you. I wasn't on my period. I was merely stressed and struggling with coming to terms with corporate espionage against the man I'd just deflowered. Yes, I'm a bit hormonal, which doesn't always lead to the greatest choices. But before you complain about those choices, just know that the last time I was on my period, my supreme decision-making led me to get on a bus and come to Seattle. So, before you judge my latest actions harshly, think about that."

I saw a small smile come over Edward's face. He walked forward and melted into me. His supreme decision-making led him to kiss me deeply and passionately. Damn Aunt Flo! I felt my whole body tingle with anticipation for something it wouldn't be rewarded with.

"I find that I still need and desire you. It's been very hard to concentrate at work with you so close and…not being able to relieve the mounting pressures building up inside. I find that you, too, share the same problem as I do. I don't care if your…bodily fluids soil my clothes and body. I need to be inside you."

Well, fuck, William Shakespeare. If there was ever a more elegant proposal to be had. I wanted to say yes. I wanted to jump him right there in the forest and find a tree to make my bitch, but I knew Edward. One sight of the gooey gore from down under and it might damage his frail germophobic self, which would lead to Edward never touching me again, with or without my curse.

"God, I want to. You have no idea how much I want to…believe me," I groaned out, giving the ol' Kegel muscles a whirl, as I imagined for one second Edward's perfectly sculpted cock pounding my sullied pussy. "You can't even touch a dirty elevator button without your trusty handkerchief. I don't think you're exactly ready to earn your red wings, my friend."

I gave him a slap on the shoulder with a small consolation rub of the palm.

"Red wings?"

I laughed humorlessly. "Well…it's in reference to when a person goes down on a woman on her period. Wings off the side of one's mouth. Yes, disgusting, but some like it."

Edward thought about my words, and his face turned to disgust.

"Oh, I know you'd never. I don't want you to. It'd feel like a vampire at a buffet table. No thank you! I'm not into that kind of kinky shit," I added quickly. "It's just…I'm on my period, and I don't want you to ever be disgusted with me or find me unappealing."

Edward breathed a sigh of relief before continuing. "How many times do I have to say this, Bella? I don't care, when it comes to you, I can handle your germs."

I bit my lip and looked back to my old tree friends, trying to decide if it was worth it.

"Are your parents at home?" I asked quickly.

Edward looked in the direction of the house, as if there was a sign indicating so. "I…have no idea."

"Fuck me in the shower. Fuck me good, and then we can talk and figure out our issues."

I saw Edward's body sag in relief, and his face lit up. He took my hand, and then I willingly trotted alongside him quickly, knowing what was in store. We saw the house come into view, and our pace quickened. We were up the steps and to the front door, when it suddenly opened.

"Edward? Bella?"

Crap.

"Mom…hi."

"What are you two doing here?"

Edward looked to me, and I tried not to cringe. What kind of story would we tell to explain why Edward and I were hundreds of miles from home?

"Uh…it's a long story. Do you mind if we come in and stay for the night?"

Esme's face lit up even more, if that was possible.

"Absolutely. We were about to have dinner. I'll let the staff know to set two more places."

Double crap. My aching center was being shut down by Mama Cullen. Like a punishment for not thinking before doing. If I had stayed in Seattle, I could have been fucked twice over and done with the dreaded conversation that was in my future.

"Well…Bella and I should probably clean up first. We wouldn't want to ruin your dinner with our sweaty appearance."

God, I wanted to jump Edward right then and there. Even with Mama Cullen watching.

"Nonsense," she waved us off. "You two are fine just as you are. Now, come on. I'm sure your father will be pleased to see you. Alice and Jasper aren't here at the moment, but they'll be back later."

I felt Edward's grip tighten on my hand, as he led me inside.

"We've had a long drive. Please, Mother, let us at least go to the bathroom."

Wow, he was just as desperate as I was.

"Okay, I expect to see you two soon, though. I'll send up someone if you're taking too long," she lightly threatened, probably sensing the sexual tension building. Or perhaps, she was just seriously famished and didn't want her dinner to cool.

Edward and I jogged up the steps and into his old bedroom. The minute we were inside, I dropped the suit coat to the floor and threw my purse at the bed, before Edward pulled me into the bathroom and lifted me up onto the counter in one swift movement, his lips plastering themselves to mine. I groaned out, feeling him push himself in between my legs.

"Come on, we have to make this one fast," Edward said, pulling me off the counter and turning me around.

"Edward, we can't. Your mother said she'd send someone if we didn't hurry," I said worriedly.

He continued pulling my pants down, and I felt incredibly awkward at what he must think of the scarlet stained pad between my legs. It was a light day, thankfully. My body wouldn't really get going till morning, especially after what we were about to do.

"I don't care, Bella."

I wasn't sure if he was referring to the army his mother planned on sending to search for us, or the bloodies gracing his polished bathroom floor. He bent me over the sink and sunk his cock right in. I'd never felt more in need than in that moment. I had to give it to the guy. He did know me. He knew the way to my brain was through my vag. Like a dam that burst, everything suddenly became clearer.

Knowing time was of the essence, he made quick work of it, pounding into me so ferociously that my legs might be bruised from banging against the counter. I didn't care. Every inch of him was desperately needed. I never wanted to stop. Screw his mom and her servants.

Every groan and "fuck" said was hushed, just in case someone was listening. I was worried about the finale. How would I ever keep my voice down, when I finally let go? Only Edward could help me there. I raised up and pushed him off. Edward's face was a prize at the very idea that I would put a stop to our games.

I turned around and reached up to pull his face down to mine, and thankfully, without instruction, he picked me back up and sunk into me once more. Our lips danced together, as our tongues tangled and wrestled in one another's mouth.

So close.

So close.

Glory!

I mashed my face into his neck to muffle the sounds coming from my mouth, while I rode out the waves of pleasure. Edward followed quickly after, thrusting hard and pinning me down to the counter, until he finished filling me.

He pulled back slowly to look at me and gave me a soft kiss, never retreating. I was worried about what would happen when he finally did pull out and see his manhood sheathed in my blood. Would he really not care? Or would he freak the fuck out like he had been given the full Carrie treatment at the prom?

I stopped him from pulling out. "Here, just let me clean you up before you look," I began to say.

"Bella, I'm fine," he replied, taking my hands in his. "You really have so little faith in me and my word?"

"It's a horror show that so few can come back from. Especially for someone like you."

He rolled his eyes and pulled out. I didn't look. I cringed, waiting for the screaming and running to commence, but when nothing came, I wagered a peek to find him walking over to the towel shelf and pulling one down to clean himself off like a normal human being.

I slid off the counter and walked over to the toilet. In my supreme thinking, I hadn't brought any backup sanitary supplies, when I had run out of Edward's office meeting.

"Uh…Edward, we have a problem."

He looked over to me, worried.

"I…don't have anything to…put on," I said in a tone I hoped meant I wouldn't have to explain further. Edward needed further explanation by the look on his face.

"I didn't bring any extra…"

Come on. Did I really have to spell it out?

"Oh!"

Oh, thank god.

"Uh…let me…go to my sister's room and see if I can find something suitable."

I sat on the toilet, hoping Esme wouldn't make good on her threat and send someone up to come drag us to dinner. Thankfully, Edward returned in record time, carrying a box.

"I didn't know what you preferred. Just take what you like, and I'll see that my sister is reimbursed for her troubles."

Damn, did Alice own a sanitary supply store? She had nearly every brand, shape and size. I quickly picked something and took a couple for later to save myself from further embarrassment.

With the promise for more after dinner, it seemed like an eternity before we would be back in the privacy of Edward's childhood bedroom. Thankfully, Esme and Carlisle hadn't waited for our arrival before digging into dinner.

"Edward, Bella," Daddy Cullen greeted us upon our arrival.

"Father, my apologies for our tardiness."

"Well, the surprise of your visit is enough for our understanding," Esme replied.

We took our seats, and I was pleased to see the spread before me. Definitely enough carbs to satisfy. I piled on the potatoes and rice and took a couple of pieces of fruit. Edward placed a piece of chicken on my plate, when he added one to his own.

"If you don't eat a healthy, balanced dinner, then there's no dessert," he whispered suggestively.

I felt my cheeks flame at the thought. Maybe we could have so much sex that a lengthy talk on our issues could be dismissed.

"So, not that we mind, but to what do we owe the pleasure of your company? Twice in one year, I might have hopes for Christmas," Esme began.

Edward finished chewing and cleared his throat lightly.

"Uh…well…to be honest, Bella and I had a small disagreement, and uh…I followed her here."

 _Gee, thanks for throwing me under the bus_. I gave him a piercing look at his words.

"Edward…is…right. I um…he wanted to drug me, and of course, I was upset, so I was hoping to find Alice and see if this was normal…for him to drug his past girlfriends and such," I added.

"Bella!" Edward admonished.

"Well, you started it," I hissed.

"Edward, is this true?" Carlisle asked.

"Of course not. Bella suffers from anxiety, and we have an upcoming business trip planned, so I merely suggested some aid to help ease her nerves while we were in flight."

"He found me to be petulant for not wanting to succumb to pills and threatened his billion-dollar business failures if I didn't give in to his expectations."

"That isn't what I said at all! You're putting words into my mouth," Edward argued.

"Edward, if she doesn't want to take medication, then she doesn't have to. She's not a child. You can't tell her what to ingest," Carlisle said.

"You could've fooled me," Edward sniped. "Mother, Father, you don't know half the story. I told Bella I wouldn't attend the meeting in Las Vegas, because I couldn't count on her keeping herself safe while I was away. We've had a couple of threats lately, and I'm not going to gamble her welfare on some silly business deal, no matter how much I may want this."

He turned to me. "I'll always want you more. I'm sorry if you're upset with how I handled things, but…there's so much in the world I want to show you, and that can't happen if you refuse to fly in a plane. I may not understand your hesitancy toward prescription medication, but I implore you to reevaluate your decision and come with me. Please, Bella. If not for me, for yourself. Conquer this fear, so we may have a life enriched with exploration and experiences with differing cultures."

I thought about my first plane flight. Being strapped into a tiny plane and how every movement by the plane caused my stomach to drop, as I waited for it to damn us out of the sky and to our premature deaths. I knew how much Edward wanted his business deal. He might not have told me about his newest venture, but it was clear he had worked hard on it, and now, it all was in the balance over my semi-irrational fears. I also knew that, if I truly cared for Edward, as he cared for me, I would give him this.

"I don't want to take anything. You'll have to put up with…what you had to last time we flew. If you can deal with that, then fine. I'll go…this time. I can't make promises for future business meetings, however."

Edward breathed out in relief, and we returned to our dinner, discussing civil themes the rest of the meal. Edward's hand took mine, and he gave it a squeeze in appreciation. At least, I hoped it was appreciation. His jaw seemed far too tense the whole meal, though, and I couldn't quite get a read on him.

The meal was ending, and suddenly, his bedroom didn't look so appealing. I wasn't looking forward to what came next. I owed it to Edward to have a real conversation. Now was the time to discuss everything I ever wanted to avoid in easing my discomfort, but Edward and I would never be able to go forward, if we focused on our physical relationship and tossed our other issues to the wayside.

I think he, too, could feel the change in the air, as we walked slowly up the stairs toward his room. I planned to tell him everything that night. I would give him complete transparency, so he might come to understand me and my processes when it came to decision making. I would be open and honest about everything.

It would have been nice if he would have afforded me the same respect, especially after I poured out my guts, but I guessed he hadn't been worried about how I would react to learning of all his secrets and lies.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing! TTFN.**

 **Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing.**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	24. Chapter 24

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

I walked over to the bed and took a seat, waiting for him to join me. However, the moment we entered the room, Edward took a sharp left to head off into the bathroom. I sat there, waiting for what seemed like an eternity, while I twiddled my thumbs in anticipation. He hadn't said a word after dinner to me. Nor had he spoken while we had been walking back to his bedroom. His eyes had been fixed on the destination and never swayed my way. I wondered if he was upset. By the amount of time he was taking in the bathroom, I would think there was a very good possibility of it. Especially since he didn't have one of his high-tech toilets to run diagnostics on his samples he was depositing, so I doubted he was waiting around in the bathroom for the number crunches to give him the go ahead.

When he finally did reemerge, I was surprised that he was completely undressed, except for his silk black boxers. He walked over to the bed, barely looking at me, and then he dropped his boxers down and tossed them to the side. I couldn't hide the confusion on my face. Like a robot going through the motions, he leaned down and pulled my pants off in one swift motion…undies, too. He pushed my legs apart and entered me, refusing to look in my direction. Thank god I hadn't gone for the tampon option, or we might have ended up in the emergency room with a very embarrassing story to tell. Talk about the weirdest sex experience ever!

Don't get me wrong, it felt good, but seeing the complacency on Edward's face made it feel all wrong.

"Uh…as much as I loved the _Handmaid's Tale_ , I never really pictured myself reenacting the 'ceremony' scenes," I said.

Edward huffed and finally looked into my eyes, never stopping his pace.

"What?"

"The _Handmaid's Tale_? It's on Hulu, and it's phenomenal. You should watch it. I binged two seasons in two days. It super popular and addicting, even if it did leave me screaming at the screen, 'Go, June! Get your ass to Canada!'"

"Bella, I have no idea what you're talking about. When you go off on these tangents, it makes it hard for me to concentrate, especially when I already don't feel like doing this," he replied, pushing in and out as if he were on a conveyer belt.

"You don't say," I replied sarcastically.

I pulled myself away from him and released him from his apparent obligations.

"Edward, what in the world would make you think I'd want to fuck, when you'd rather spend your time devising a sinister plot to kill me?"

"I'd never!" he exclaimed, offended.

"I know," I said dryly. "It was a joke."

Edward reached down and grabbed his boxers from off the floor and began to step back into them. I was surprised, because he made no attempt to clean himself off. I went to pull myself together, deciding to leave my pants off. Even if I had nothing to wear for the evening, I wasn't planning on sleeping in dress slacks. I pulled an afghan over my legs and sat in bed, waiting for Edward to come and sit beside me.

"Bella…you and I have to talk. We can't keep going like this. I know you're upset with what happened earlier today, but I don't want to spend my life having to run after you. You need to talk to me and trust me, even when you're mad. I want more than anything for you to…respect me enough to want to stay and fight with me, face to face."

I felt a chill run down my spine, and my arm hairs stood on end, while I listened to his wishes. He sat at the foot of the bed, not facing me. His hollow voice scared me, even though his words said he wanted to do everything he could to make this work.

We were quiet for a few minutes, while I pondered what I was planning to say to him. I just wished he would turn around and at least look at me. Okay, so, dinner wasn't exactly a success. He'd said things I wished he hadn't. I'd said some things, too. Airing our dirty laundry in front of his parents might not have been the most mature way to handle things.

He stood up from the bed and began to walk away.

"Wait," I begged softly. "I know you want me to respond, but I…need a minute to think everything over."

He finally turned to me. "What do you need to think over?" he asked.

I looked down and followed the gingham pattern of his bedspread to help me focus.

"Edward, there's a lot I want to share with you. Things I need to tell you. Everything happened so quickly between us, and you may have known or thought you knew who I was, but you don't know. You don't know hardly anything about me. Most people who are with one another know things about one another before they decide to be together. We kind of skipped a lot of that stuff, and now, we're finding that we're constantly frustrated with one another because of skipping those steps. So…could you at least give me a minute to gather my thoughts, so I don't just…word vomit all over you?"

He nodded his head slowly and finally came to join me at the top of the bed. I gathered the afghan up and situated it over me, while he made himself comfortable.

"You know…there's never been anyone before you. Sure, I had…a lot of sex with different people. Different _strangers_. But never somebody I cared for. I know what you want from me. I know you're desperate to hear me tell you something, and I wish I could. I wish I could give that to you, but I can't. To be honest and fair to you, I don't know if or when I ever will be able to. I feel guilty, because I know you have these feelings for me, and I just…don't want to force myself to say something…" I closed my eyes tightly, because I was worried they would begin to tear. I felt my hands shake in anger for my weak tendencies.

"Bella," Edward whispered.

"Just, please, let me get through this," I replied quickly. I huffed irritably. Not at Edward, but at myself.

"I was only fourteen, when my mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I was also fourteen, when she died from pancreatic cancer. Stage four and only able to live for five months after her diagnosis. The worst five months of my life, as I helped her swallow pill after pill. Pills that didn't do shit for the pain she was in. I don't even know where the pancreas is, even after all the Grey's Anatomy I've watched. I didn't graduate high school. I didn't care much about anything after she died. I was angry. Angry and scared. My father was shit. He couldn't keep his mouth off a bottle or his ass out of a casino. He didn't care about me. So, I had no one."

I paused to reign it all in. I already felt pathetic enough for having to say all this out loud. I never thought I would have to.

"I didn't think I'd ever want to be with someone. I wasn't planning some white wedding in my future. I laughed at the idea of ever reproducing. I can't even take care of myself. What the hell would I do with a baby? Poor thing would probably be dead in a week, because I'll be just about as crappy a parent as my father."

"Stop it, Bella. I won't hear you say that about yourself. I didn't know your father. I have no idea what kind of man he really was, but his mistakes, as great as they were, don't have to be your mistakes."

"I don't want to lose you, Edward," I whispered. "But as we get closer, I'm terrified it'll happen. My mother was practically a saint, and even she was struck down in the end. I can't watch as another person I l…" I breathed out sharply, as I almost made the greatest mistake with my words.

"Bella, I'm not going anywhere," he swore, taking my hand in his.

"You say that now, but you don't know that. I have nothing to offer you, and it doesn't even matter what Jacob said. I know I'm not a gold…"

"What Jacob said?" Edward asked, confused.

I sighed and shook my head. "It was nothing. It was stupid," I dismissed.

"No, please. Tell me what Jacob said."

My head rolled back. I didn't want this to turn into a conversation about Jacob. God only knew, even if Jacob didn't know it, it would give him pleasure knowing we were discussing him at all.

"Just forget about it, Edward. That isn't what I want to talk about."

"No, I do want to talk about it, because clearly, there's something that was said that seems to have upset you. I need to know. This is exactly what I mean when I say you don't trust me with certain parts of your life, and it upsets me. Why can you not just say…"

"OKAY! God! Just shut up already!" I shouted.

Edward's lips sealed in anger.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just…you were getting off topic," I said with the wave of my hand, clearing the air, and then I sighed. "Jacob…said that…" I shut my mouth, as my eyes reached for the heavens.

"Would you like me to summon him, so that he may recount your conversation?" Edward threatened.

"He'd just love that," I replied sarcastically. "Jacob basically called me out. He thinks I'm just a gold-digging, opportunistic whore who has nothing to offer the world, because I have no ambition in life but to lay on my back and let you pay for everything."

Edward's eyes narrowed, as he took in my words. I couldn't bear to look him in the eye.

"Why would you ever listen to what Jacob has to say? You barely know him, first of all."

"But he was right!" I exclaimed. "I mean…not about the money part, because god knows I hate the idea of using your money or being labeled as a gold-digger, but I don't have any ambition to do anything. There isn't some goal that I strive for. My idea of a pretty sweet life is having enough money to eat and hold onto my Netflix and Hulu subscriptions. How can someone like you ever want someone like me? You have everything! Ambition. Goals. Dreams. You're smart and well-traveled. You don't even have silly fears like flying in planes. You have an amazing dick. Best of all, you have a family who loves and cares about you! My god, is there any area you don't excel in?"

My voice had risen so much that, when I stopped talking, the silence seemed to ring throughout my ears.

"I don't have you," Edward whispered, "and I'd give it all up if I knew I could."

My mouth opened to combat his words, but nothing came.

"Look, Bella, I don't know why I feel the way I do about you. I don't know what it'll take for you to believe me when I tell you that I love you. I love you just as you are. It's not necessary for you to have a life plan or a degree. I don't care that you're crass and speak as if you came from a different planet, based on how little I can understand you sometimes. I don't care that you eat like a five-year-old abandoned in a candy store. I mean…well, sometimes, I do, because I do worry about your health.

"My point is, you don't need to have all the answers for me to love you. More importantly, you don't need to tell me you love me until you're sure and ready. I'd much rather you tell me you'll not walk away again, no matter how upset my words make you. You wish to fight with me? Fine. You want to scream at me or threaten me? I'll take it. But please, whatever you do, give me a chance to figure it out. A compromise, so that we may be happy and safe. Would you at least give me that? Give me your word?"

Looking back on it, I now knew why Edward would desire this promise from me. Insurance for the day I would find out all the truths he was hiding. A promise that I felt proud I was able to keep, even when all I wanted to do was run in the opposite direction on the night the flash drive was placed in my palm. A flash drive that contained every move Edward had ever made to secure my path that led me to him. That was one hell of a Christmas Eve.

I breathed out slowly and looked him in the eye. "You still don't know everything about me. Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I know what's important."

I laughed humorlessly and shook my head. "You want me to swallow some silly pill to get on that plane." I took a breath in, and then I couldn't stop the tears that followed. "Edward, I had a pain pill addiction when I was younger. It was…anything I could do to get through the pain I felt when my mom died, I did it.

"I'd probably still be hooked if it weren't for the loss of my supplier, who went missing when I was eighteen. I was so…smashed out of my mind that I woke up in a forest…alone…and to this day, I have no idea what happened to me. It was the dead of winter, and if it hadn't been for this guy who lived in the middle of nowhere happening upon me, I'd probably be dead.

"We were stuck in his cabin in the middle of a snowstorm, with no way out for over a week. Of course, when I got back, my dad hadn't even realized I'd been missing. I was flaky, so work just thought I was off having fun. I realized that, if I'd died, no one would've even cared. But I was able to detox while being stuck in that crappy cabin, so I took the chance to get over my shit and swore to myself not to take another pill ever again.

"So, as much as you want to help me with your anxiety medications, I have to refrain. Especially now. I don't want to go back to that dependency. I'm sorry."

Edward's perfect face was marred with concern and pity. He reached for me and pulled me toward him, holding me dearly, while I tried to cease the tears.

"God, Bella, I'm so sorry. I…I wasn't thinking. Of course, there was a good reason, and here I was, trying to force them on you. I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me."

I sniffled and wiped my face with the palm of my hand.

"Edward, you don't have to apologize. I just…figured I owed you an explanation. I've been on my own for so long that it's foreign to tell someone things about me that I've kept locked away. I don't fancy going on your plane again, but I'm going to try and get over this stupid fear. I know how much it means to you that I go…even if you didn't tell me about your newest venture."

Edward sighed, and I felt his head drop a little. He squeezed me tighter before releasing me, so he could speak directly to me.

"Once again, apologies are in order. I knew that, when I told you I was planning on diving into the world of hospitality, and that my first hotel was being constructed in Las Vegas, it'd only be a matter of time before you realized I'd want you to come along with me. And as much fuss as you made last time over flying, and with this being a longer journey, I knew you'd be resistant, but leaving you behind was not an option."

My teeth began to dig into my thumbnail and make a meal out of it from the nerves I felt about going up in one of his stupid flying contraptions. Oh, my god, how was I going to make it through this?

"I was thinking of a couple of ways to ensure that you're able to brave the flight. I hope you won't reconsider and will give me a chance to take you to Las Vegas, so you can partake in this triumphant feat for my company."

I looked up into his hopeful eyes. "I…said I'd go. This time. I don't know how I'll manage, but…I'll attempt to not make a scene like the last time."

Edward beamed, and this time when he fucked me, he did so enthusiastically.

Since it was the weekend, Edward wasn't pressured to get back right away for work. However, even though his employees would be at home on Saturday and Sunday, he would probably be putting in long hours to make up for his recent time off due to a certain sexy brunette and all her craziness…who shall remain nameless.

Esme still impressed dearly upon us how important it was for our appearance on Christmas Eve. I didn't know until we were in the car on our way back to Seattle that the Cullen's threw a huge bash every year on Christmas Eve. A part of me was a little sad, because I had this image in my mind of sitting around a fire and a Christmas tree, while celebrating a low-key evening with just the family. It had been so long since I'd had anywhere to go for Christmas, but I guessed the low-key event was saved for the next day. I could get through one little party, right?

I told Edward that he should take his jet home to Seattle, and I would ride back with the Clearwater's. He had already wasted so much of his work time on dealing with the personal crap I'd put him through. I used to joke that I would be the downfall of his company. I began to think that my hypothesis was coming to fruition. Edward refused to ride separately. He did spend much of the trip back on his phone or tablet, though. I tried to stay quiet, so he could work in peace. Hey, someone had to pay the bills around here, and it wasn't looking like I would be responsible for keeping the lights on, so the least I could do was leave him be.

Once back in the apartment, I settled into Edward's bed and flipped on the television to surf around and find something to entertain myself, until Edward came up for dinner. Girl Clearwater, I believed, was out in the entry room reading a book, making sure to block off my exit, just in case I got the wise idea to try and leave again without protection.

Call it a guilty pleasure, but _Fifty Shades of Grey_ was on, and like a train wreck, my finger paused its scanning duties to take a couple of minutes to peruse. It wasn't until the red room of pain scene that I remembered my forgotten pleasure toy from Thursday. I wondered if it was still down in Edward's office where I had left it. Not like I was looking to use it, but I was curious to its current whereabouts. As much as I didn't want to bother Edward, I decided to head down to his office and have a look around.

"Are we going somewhere?" Girl Clearwater asked, placing her book down and standing at attention.

God, I felt like the babysitter was about to threaten to call my parents if I stepped even one toe out of this apartment.

"To Edward's office. I need something."

"Alright. I'll accompany you."

"I'm…literally going one floor down. You don't need to bother. You can even press the button on the elevator panel if it'll make you feel better."

She shook her head. "That's not how this works. I'll take you down to see Mr. Cullen and leave you in his capable hands. I'll return when I'm assured of your safety."

I sighed and hit the elevator button quite harshly. The doors opened, and I walked forward with my arms crossed over my chest, while the She-Clearwater entered and pressed the seventy-seven number on the panel.

Two seconds later, the doors opened to reveal Edward sitting at his desk on a call. I held up my hands and walked out of the box, giving my guard a grand smile. She had done her job and needed to leave. I wasn't about to have her present while I searched around.

"The last thing we need is for the ball to be dropped. I'm holding you responsible to see that this is done properly," Edward snapped.

He did not sound happy, so I tried to stay out of his way. I walked over to where I had dropped the bag, but there was no bag in sight. I could see Edward watching me while his conversation continued. I continued to walk around slowly and cautiously while looking for my toy.

Did housekeeping throw it away? Where the hell did it go?

"Bella, what are you doing?"

Edward's call had ended, and I hadn't even noticed.

"Uh…well…to be honest…"

He looked expectantly at me while waiting for my answer.

"You see…not that I have any intention of using it, but I guess curiosity got the better of me…"

"Would you please just get to it? I have a lot to do today."

"Oh, well, go ahead. I won't say a word, and I'll be out of your hair in no time," I replied, waving him off.

"Or you can just tell me and save us all the time and energy."

I grimaced and turned to look at him. "You…didn't happen to see my bag around here?"

"Your purse?" he asked.

"Um…no…my special bag with a certain item…in it…that I may or may not have purchased recently."

Edward sighed and melted back into his highbacked chair. He knew exactly what I was asking for.

"Why? Are you finding yourself in need of satisfaction?"

"No! I just…well, I was watching this movie upstairs, and it reminded me, and so, I thought I'd come down here and look."

Edward stood up and walked over toward me, his gaze fixed and penetrating. "I threw it out."

"WHAT? Why!" I exclaimed.

"Were you planning on needing the item?" he inquired.

"Well…no, but…it was still mine. I mean, I didn't exactly use company credit to purchase it. I spent my own hard-earned money. The least you could've done was ask."

Did I plan on using it? Well, I'd guess not, unless Edward went on a long business trip. He couldn't expect me to remain orgasm-less while he was away, could he?

"I could've donated it for a tax write-off or returned it at the very least to get my money back," I began with excuses.

Edward laughed. "If this is about the money, I think you know I'm good for it."

"That's not the point, Edward. The least you could've done was ask," I huffed.

"Ask my girlfriend to not fuck herself with a piece of plastic? You only purchased the item to get back at me for withholding sex. Since I'm no longer withholding, I didn't see any issues with discarding said item. Tax write-off? How have you not been audited, if you think that contraption could pass for a write-off?"

"Or I could've given it to a friend. A welcome home present for when Rose returns. You never know!" I argued.

"Rose has Emmett. She doesn't need one."'

It was my turn to laugh. "I know you're new at all this, but some couples like to bring sex toys into the bedroom."

Edward slowly kept advancing. "Is that what you want? For me to fuck you with a toy?"

I nearly blushed. "Edward," I laughed. "I just…I just…"

I couldn't even look him in the eye. I kept thinking of the movie playing upstairs and wondering what Edward would do in a red room of pain.

"I think I've made myself quite clear in the past. Whenever you need me, I'll be more than happy to oblige. Just say the word, Bella."

He stopped. His face was inches from mine. My heart accelerated, as I thought about what I would say. I could smell Edward's cologne, and it was making me very wet downstairs.

"Fuck me on your desk and smack my ass."

Without even a second passing, Edward grabbed my wrist and pulled me quickly over to his desk. He turned me around and pulled down my pants in one swift movement.

"Wait," Edward paused. "Where are your panties?"

I looked back at him and furrowed my brow. "What?"

"Your period? I thought you were still…inflicted."

"Oh, shit, that's right."

Fuck, I'd nearly had him fuck me with a tampon, saving that trip to the ER for Seattle instead of Sherwood, as I had previously worried.

I began to search for a napkin or Kleenex to hide my friend. I found a box next to Edward's desk and pulled a few tissues out.

"Turn around. Believe me when I tell you, you don't want to see this."

Edward rolled his eyes and slowly turned around.

"But I'm not understanding something," he continued to talk, while I removed the offending intruder. "You don't have to wear panties when you're…?"

"Cursed? No. Why would I?"

"Well, I just…would it not fall out when you're walking?" he stuttered.

I laughed. "Um…I'm sorry, did your school not have sex-ed…at all? It's a piece of cotton, not a bowling pin. Just how loose do you think I am?"

Edward turned around and looked at me, irritated.

"My apologies, Miss Swan. They usually didn't take the time to explain the inner workings of female sanitary supplies to us boys."

"Like throwing a hotdog down a hallway," I mumbled, thinking about how loose I would have to be for a tampon to fall out of my vag when I walked.

I looked over to Edward, who was looking rather confused at my irrational mumblings.

"The moment's over, isn't it?" I squinted.

Edward's eyes traveled down to my hand, where I clutched the cloaked trespasser.

"Okay, I'll see you upstairs for dinner," I said, quickly heading towards the elevator. "Don't worry about me. I have a rather entertaining experiment planned with your toilet."

Edward's jaw dropped. "Bella, don't you dare flush that down the toilet!" he threatened.

"Don't you want to know what my white or red blood cell count is? Or perhaps when ovulation occurred?" I joked.

Edward paused, thinking over my words, before shaking his head. "My toilet can't accommodate those parameters."

I smacked myself in the forehead at his innocence. I walked into the elevator and held onto the frame to keep the doors open.

"Don't wait too long to come up, or I may have to resort to drastic measures, since you threw away my 'Plan B.' You wouldn't happen to have any fresh cucumbers in your fridge, would you?"

I wasn't sure if Edward was disgusted or appalled, or perhaps he was both, but after he woke up from his pause, he charged the elevator like a bull looking for the red flag, pinning me to the back wall and pressing his full weight against me.

"Are we back in the mood, Mr. Cullen?"'

"It doesn't seem as though I'll be able to work properly until I put you to bed for the night, Miss Swan."

His tongue violently invaded my mouth. I was in all systems go mode and not feeling a hint of sleepiness, which meant if Edward wanted to get back to work, he would need to give me one hell of a workout first. Poor Girl Clearwater. Looked like she would be spending the rest of her shift downstairs in the lobby.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing! TTFN.**

 **Thank you to DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing.**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

I knew I should have been focusing on the lady in front of me, who was droning on and on about the specifications to Edward's latest financial endeavor, but with each shift of my weight, I felt maximum discomfort. I stole a look at Edward, who was only approximately seventy-five percent focused himself. His eyes were bloodshot, and even his hair was in slight disarray. Thank god his suit was so pressed with perfect creases, or else his board members might think he was sickly.

My only exposure to Las Vegas before today had been in the form of movies and television. It wasn't nighttime, so I had yet to be truly impressed. I couldn't wait for our little private tour to happen tomorrow evening. I glanced once again and saw Edward nearly sway from his exhaustion. I made the sacrifice and slightly moved next to him to brush up against him and wake him from his near-sleep state.

I heard him clear his throat discreetly, before nodding in my direction appreciatively for my intervention.

"Now, if you'll follow me, I'd love to show you what we have in store for the grounds outside. Three pools. One for families. One for adults only, and one for sporting events, as we'd like to host some exciting new prospects at the hotel."

Oh, dear god. She was going to make us move again, wasn't she?

I sighed and cringed slightly. The board members who surrounded us began to follow one another, while I took my time before starting my engine.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked quietly.

"I should be asking you the very same question."

"I don't know how we're going to make it another two hours before this tour is over. Bella, if you'd like Seth and Leah to take you back to the room, I wouldn't be upset."

I wanted to jump at the chance, but this was something close to Edward's heart, so I felt the need to stay. Plus, after everything he had done for me, I felt it was only fair to stay with him.

"No, it's okay. I'll be fine."

He reached out to take my hand. Normally, I wouldn't allow the gesture, since we were technically working, but I took it and gave it a squeeze, as I took one step and then another. _Oh, my god, Bella. You really did it this time._

I was sure our Clearwater shadows were wondering what had caused Edward and I to be in the broken states we were in. They didn't know that Edward's idea of trying to find a better way for me to relax to get on the plane included an all-night sex fest. In his mind, it was simple: wear me out me with pleasure to the point of maximum exhaustion, and then jump on a super early flight the next morning. Every time I would begin to fall asleep, Edward would jostle me, and we would begin all over again. I'd never had so much sex in my life! At one point, he even carried me into the shower. At first, I thought he wanted a change of venue. Maybe he was beginning to become bored of his bed, but I think he changed to the shower to wake me back up, so we could go a few more times before the sun would come up. Now, my poor hoo-hah felt the ramifications of my stupid flying fears.

I imagined my vag holding up picket signs, as it swore a strike. Every single step reminded me that, with too much pleasure, there was a price. But it had worked. By the time I had reached the plane that morning, I was so passed out that Armageddon wouldn't have woken me up. Ben Affleck or Bruce Willis. I'd never even realized I was on a plane, until we were sitting on the tarmac in Las Vegas.

Edward didn't sleep, however. He worried that, if he closed his eyes for even one second, I might wake up and freak the fuck out. His pain was sheer exhaustion. I briefly wondered if his appendage would feel any pain from our overzealous workout. Probably not. God did seem to favor the men ever since that damn apple incident. Who would ever harm a man's right to fuck?

Which led me to my next wonder. What the hell were we going to do Saturday evening, when we would be expected to fly back home the next day? Surely, Edward wouldn't think of having another all-nighter so close to the last? I could quite literally feel my clit trying to tuck and roll in an attempt to make a run for it.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked, seeing the look of trepidation on my face.

"Uh…nothing. Stupid, silly thoughts."

"Try me," he replied.

I sighed. "You know how sometimes you complain that nothing I say makes any sense?" I asked.

He nodded in response.

"Then trust me when I tell you that the words that come out of my mouth aren't half as crazy as what's locked up in this old noggin."

We reached the outside, where the pools were still be dug out. The hotel wasn't planning on being finished till summer. I believed they were waiting until the Fourth of July, which meant we would be returning to Las Vegas in the near future, provided we were alive and still together.

We were just approaching our other tour members, when Edward squeezed my hand. "Can we please finish discussing this in private? I don't care how crazy it may sound. I still would like to know."

I nodded begrudgingly, hoping Edward would forget it, but he had the damn memory of an elephant, so little chance of that happening.

After a nearly three-hour tour, my lady bits weren't the only things screaming in pain. My stupid brain had thought it would be a good idea to dress professionally and add a reasonable heel height to my outfit that day, thus causing my poor tootsies to riot in agony, as we stepped onto the private elevator to head back up to our penthouse at the Bellagio.

Edward walked on and waited as if we were in the 1920's, like there was a person to do the job of pressing the correct button. I staggered forward and smacked the button, giving him a look.

"You know what I'd love right about now?" Edward asked.

"A self-cleaning elevator panel?" I replied sarcastically.

He shook his head, realizing his mistake, and blushed. "Sorry," he offered.

I waved him off.

"I was just thinking it might be nice to share a bath," Edward said, taking me in his arms.

"That does sound nice, but there'll be no hanky-panky."

Edward actually looked hurt.

"Are you kidding me, Edward? I swear, you can't put another thing up in there, or else it'll most definitely shrivel up and turn to dust!"

Edward stepped back a little. "I guess my sexual education course really was lacking," he quipped.

"How are you not in pain? Your dick should be hiding and shaking behind your balls after last night."

Edward cleared his throat once more and looked behind me. Oh, that was right. The Clearwater's were here, too. Oh well. If he was worried about being embarrassed, he never should have wanted someone like me.

Our elevator car arrived at its destination.

"Please, do a sweep and then leave us for a couple of hours. We'll be fine," Edward dictated.

The dynamic duo exited and went about checking the suite, while we remained close to the elevator.

"I'm not in pain, Bella, but if you are, then we don't have to do anything...unless…"

I scrunched my eyes. Unless…what?

"Unless what?" I voiced my thoughts.

"Well, you did say something once upon a time about…other…orifices."

My eyes bugged out of their sockets. "Orifices? Aren't you just the romantic?"

I was so thankful that our guards weren't within earshot. I could feel my face become flushed, as I pictured Edward plowing into my "out" hole.

"Did you bring the lube?" I asked.

"We could send out for some or use…other means."

My god! We had the oddest conversations. Seriously? Was it like this with other couples in their relationships? I wouldn't know.

"Other means? If you think you're getting any honey from my pot, you're sorely mistaken. Like I said, my pussy is so dehydrated from the tidal wave of fluid produced last night that I'd be lucky to squeeze out a drop. Two seconds away from turning into dust here," I reiterated.

"The room is secure," the boy Clearwater said from behind and nearly made me jump ten feet in the air. "We'll be on our way, then?"

They exited, taking my rapidly beating heart down with them. I turned back to Edward, who took two steps to close the gap between us. He instantly began to nibble on my ear. How was it even possible, after all the sex we'd had, that he would ever want more!

"Edward, I mean it. I'm sorry. I need a little break. You have no idea how much I'm hurting over here. And I know you're exhausted. You need some sleep."

I felt his sigh blow through my hair before he stepped back. "I am tired, but I just…I'm incredibly energized as well. I feel as if we're on our first vacation together. I'd pictured making love to you in that bed tonight, as we looked out over the city and all its dazzling lights. My apologies. It was never my intention to hurt you."

I reached out and stopped him from leaving.

"You just have to let me have a good hot bath, and then I'm sure we'll be all systems go. Please, don't ever think that I don't want to have sex. I guess I'm a little surprised that you want it so much. I mean, besides last night, I usually feel like I have to initiate. I feel like I always want it more, and sometimes, it feels like you're just doing it to calm my crazy."

"Bella, I think about having sex with you nearly every second of every day. You have no idea the lengths I've gone to not to pounce on you at first sight. You can't imagine how great it feels to know that I can pleasure you. I was so worried for so long that you'd laugh at me and my inexperience. That you wouldn't feel anything for me. To know that I can make you cum and that you want more is the greatest accomplishment of my life."

I placed my hand on his cheek, like he had done to me so many times. "Edward, you're the first person who's ever made me crave more with the same person. I don't know what our future holds, but it's the first time I've ever pictured a future with someone. You and I, I'm sure people must think we're an odd couple, but I hope you know that I'm in this for as long as you'll put up with my crazy ass."

Edward immediately seized my lips with his own. His hands tangled in my hair, and I could feel my body tingling once more in anticipation. I wrapped my arms around him, and he reached down and picked me up, walking me to our bedroom. I wasn't sure how we were going to do it. Like I said, my vag was currently holding a sign that said, "Fair hours. Fair wages."

He laid me down on the bed gently and unsealed his lips. Then he quickly pulled off his suit coat and dropped it haphazardly onto the floor, before kneeling in front me. Never undressing me, he pulled my legs until I was in perfect and prime position. He pushed my skirt out of his way and dove right in, his lips and tongue colliding with my clit, who wasn't hiding as I had previously believed. That old hussy was back from her lunch break and ready to work.

I nearly cried out, when Edward pushed two fingers deep inside of me. I bit down hard, waiting for his fingers to exit. Thankfully, they did after a few seconds. Edward continued to assault me with his tongue, and then this time, I did cry out, when he pushed his fingers into hole "B" with no warning.

"Did I hurt you?" Edward asked, afraid of the answer, but never pulling his fingers out.

"No," I whispered. "Just surprised me is all."

I laid back down, and Edward went back to work, but he kept pushing his fingers in and out, stretching me. Okay, anal sex was probably not going to feel as good as the porn actresses made it out to be. Damn them for their false advertising! Seriously, if he was only pushing two fingers up inside me, what the hell was I going to do when he shoved his entire disco stick up in there? Suddenly, my offer didn't seem like such a good idea.

A thought popped up into my mind, and I nearly laughed out loud. Thankfully, I refrained. I remembered the _Queens of Comedy_ show I had watched, when Monique had attempted to give advice on the subject. Relax all your muscles. Relax all your muscles. Aw hell! Fucking relax already. Oh, thank god, he took his damn fingers out.

I felt my body melt into the bed, as I allowed Edward's tongue to work wonders in negotiating a peace treaty to get my vag off strike. And devil don't you know that the second I began to feel my whole body lift off with my orgasm, Edward fucking Cullen sank his fingers good and deep to my asshole once more. Where was my germaphobe boy toy when I needed him? The man wouldn't even touch an elevator button, but he had no problem searching for coal. Didn't make any damn sense.

He came up and joined me, his mouth near mine, as he kissed me once quickly.

"Don't you need to wash off?" I offered. "I can't imagine how you must feel."

"What do you mean?" he asked, perplexed.

"Well…Edward. Since I've known you, you haven't been one who could deal with germs. You just played mud pies with my poop hole. How are you not running for the nearest exit to secure something to rid your fingers of the nasty germs?"

He laughed a little, which was a sight I rarely saw.

"Bella, like I said before, I don't mind your germs."

I shook my head in amazement.

"But…it does bring up a question I had. While I was…doing what I was doing, I noticed it didn't seem very pleasurable for you. Is there anything I can do to improve?"

What was I, some kind of teacher giving him an assessment?

"That hole is just tight. You have to have patience and allow it a chance to loosen a little. Don't worry, it'll get there. Don't give up on the old girl just yet."

Edward had his thinking face on.

"Okay, but…maybe there's something we can do about it. Maybe you were right. Maybe we should get some kind of toy to…help."

As much as I wouldn't mind having a stand-by, the idea freaked me out a little.

"What? No! I don't want to end up on some Instagram account with x-rays showing what happens when you have foreign objects in your ass. And don't tell me it's not real. I follow a girl right now who loves to show them off to the world, and let me tell you, from the things I've seen, it nearly makes me not want to poop ever again."

Edward flopped back down on the bed and closed his eyes. He had a face full of pussy and fingernails that had just been where the sun didn't shine, and yet, he was so tired, he passed out without another word. I was nearly ready for a nap, too, but the bathtub called out to me. If Edward wanted his super romantic night of frolicking under the overpriced electricity bill that the City of Sin provided, then I was going to have to get right and soak for a long while.

The Clearwater's came back after a few hours and planted themselves down in the living room to watch television. I found that it was best to hide out in my room, with Edward drooling softly on his pillow beside me. I turned on the television and ordered a movie to watch, while I waited for Sleeping Beauty to arise.

It was getting rather late, and my stomach was beginning to hurt from lack of nutrition. I pulled out the room service menu and perused it. Everything on the damn thing was way overpriced. I wanted to head out and grab a bite to eat, but knowing Edward, he would rather me spend the god-awful tariff instead of leaving. So, I ordered up a bevy of items. I knew Edward had thoughts of going out on the town, but I would be more than happy to save that nightlife experience for the next evening.

I was right in the middle of my twenty-dollar cheeseburger, when Edward arose with a jolt, yelling, "What time is it?"

I felt my heart hurt. Not sure if it was from the crappy burger or Edward waking from the dead.

"Mother of penguins! You scared the shit out of me!"

Edward looked over at the clock and gasped. "Why didn't you wake me? The night is ruined."

I placed my burger down on its plate. "Well…not to me, but it might be when you see the room service bill," I cringed.

Edward looked at the stack of plates and walked over to assess them.

"I'm sorry. I just thought you'd rather I stayed here than go out to find food. I can totally pay you back," I replied.

He scoffed. "Don't be silly, Bella. I just wished you would've woken me up. We could've gone somewhere special. I ruined our evening."

"I know this will probably come as a shock to you, but I don't mind sitting around in a comfortable bed, eating food and watching movies. Don't get me wrong, there's a time and place for dancing and getting drunk, but I just don't really see myself doing that with you, so to me, this is the perfect vacation. Lounging about and relaxing. Not a problem in the world," I said, flopping back down upon my luxurious pillow and sighing happily.

Edward looked at me with this funny expression.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he replied, shaking his head slowly. "I just…I love you so much!"

And there it was. A sure-fire knife to my chest. Most women would gush at hearing those words. I found myself nauseated from them. Not because I didn't like Edward and didn't want to hear those sweet declarations, but because I still couldn't find it in me to say it back. What would it take? How long would Edward wait?

He went to the bathroom, and I could hear the shower start up. Inside, I knew it was wrong, but it was the only thing I could think of doing. I waited until I was sure he was inside, and then I stripped down to nothing. I entered the shower, and he happily welcomed me. He began to kiss me, but I pulled away and slowly slid down to my knees. I had never pleasured Edward this way, given my rules and all. He had stopped me before. He should have stopped me now. I shouldn't have sucked him off as a way to make myself feel better for not giving him those three words. But I did. I took him in my mouth and began to suck him off. His groans of appreciation were all I needed to push forward.

 _If I can't give you one thing, I'm still good for another. I promise, Edward._

I nearly felt myself in tears, as I thought about what would happen when the time came that Edward no longer wanted to wait for me. I felt my chest hurt, as if I had just eaten a double bacon cheeseburger and chili fries. I slammed his cock to the back of my throat and welcomed the discomfort I felt, as I grabbed his ass and wished he would find a way to punish me for my horrendous nature.

Edward came good and hard, but he wasn't finished. He turned me around and bent me over to push back into me. I cringed and realized that the bath I had taken earlier hadn't done shit. Fuck, this hurt. My punishment.

I laid in bed after everything and tried to focus on the movie, but I couldn't. Edward tapped away happily on his laptop and promised me he only needed a few more minutes. I didn't care. I wouldn't be much company at that moment, anyway. I chewed on the skin next to my fingernails and plowed through each one while I wondered how much time I had left with Edward.

I felt his hand come up and pull my fingers from my mouth, before he returned to his email.

"Stop it," he quietly admonished.

I laid back and looked up to the ceiling.

"Edward?" I began quietly.

"Yes, honey?"

"Um…how did you manage to be so successful? I mean…you've only been at this for six or seven years. That's a major feat in such a short period of time. How did you do it?"

Edward stopped writing and stared at his screen.

"Well…it took…ambition and hard work. Having a goal in mind to focus on and never taking no for an answer. Always finding a different path when one door closed and all that, I suppose. Knowing when to cut your losses and go about it in a different way. Having patience and not pursuing something, just because you think it's the only way."

I nodded and remained focused on the ceiling.

"When did you know to cut your losses? How long were you patient?"

I felt his gaze travel over toward me, but I didn't look back.

"When you have diminishing returns, it's sometimes easier to cut your losses sooner rather than later. To have the foresight to know that you won't get what you need and get out."

"Okay…and how long does that usually take? Like, weeks? Months? Perhaps a year, at least?"

Edward closed his laptop and placed it to the side, before laying down and stretching out beside me, leaning on his hand to look at me.

"Bella, why are you asking me this?"

I shrugged and sighed, but I still refrained from meeting his eyes. "I was just curious."

He placed his hand on my stomach and made small circles.

"Bella, you're not a diminishing return, and I'd never cut my losses here," he replied sincerely, knowing the reasoning behind my silly questions.

I finally looked him in the eye. "You don't know that. What if I can't give you what you want?"

"I only want you. So long as you're here beside me, then I'll be happy for all eternity."

I bit down on my lip. "But you want a baby. You said so yourself. How long would you wait for that? I only have a short time before my eggs dry up and turn to dust. What happens if I still can't give you that? And what happens when you no longer…"

"Bella," he stopped me and placed his fingers over my mouth. "Please…just calm down. I'll say this once more. I don't care about anything but you. If we have babies…I'll be all the more blessed. But I don't need babies. Like I said, I'll wait. If that never happens, and we grow old together and die exactly as we are right now, I'll have lived the very best life I could've ever hoped for."

He pulled me close and held me, while I contemplated his words.

"I love you…and even though you won't say it, I know you love me, too."

I wanted to protest, but I didn't. Still, I felt guilty for hearing him say it.

We fell asleep eventually, but I had dreams plagued with anal sex. Go figure! Who would have ever thought that Bella Swan could find something in the world of sex that frightened her nearly as much as bestiality? I'd always thought I was a semi-freaky girl who would be willing to put up with damn near anything but being spit on or choked. Wouldn't fancy being peed on, either, not unless I was in the shower, perhaps, and even then, I would hope it would be only on my feet, if that were Edward's fetish. Thankfully, it didn't seem so, so at least I was safe from the golden shower experience for now.

I crept out of bed to grab my phone off the charger and pulled up the Porn Hub site. Maybe I could learn a little somethin'-somethin' from the working professionals. I nearly jumped out of my skin, when the first video rendered, and a loud scream came shooting out of my speakers. I could hear my heart beating in my ears, as I scrambled to try and shut that shit down.

"Bella, what are you doing?"

Crap! The last thing I needed was for him to think I was porn surfing. I didn't need him turned on at that moment, when my poor girl had turned her strike into a government shutdown.

"Uh…nothing. I'm sorry. I had a nightmare. It was silly. I was just looking for something to cheer me up."

Edward looked down at my phone.

"Porn?"

FUCK!

I pressed the stupid circle button over and over to shut off the screen.

I laughed and dropped my phone off the side of the bed.

"It's the damnedest story," I giggled. "Um…you see…I was just…I find it comedic to watch girls' faces while they're…orgasming."

Edward's face was a mix of shock and horror.

"Hey, you wanted all this. Need I remind you? I was pretty damn upfront on the diminishing returns, and you said…you said that you wouldn't cut your losses, so…if you go back on your word, just think of what kind of man that makes you!" I said, waving a threatening finger in his direction.

Edward's expression changed, and a small smile crept up on his face.

"Grab your phone," he ordered.

I moved slowly to pick my phone up from off the floor.

"Come here," he requested, taking my phone out of my hands. He turned me around and spooned me. "Perhaps, this is something we can enjoy together."

Fuck me! I'd awaken a sleeping dragon! One whiff of watching a barely legal girl getting plowed into by some giant and Edward would want nothing more than to star in the sequel. Must find a way to destroy phone ASAP!

"Uh…let me pee really quick, and I'll be right back to begin this..."

I grabbed my phone from his hands and tripped out of bed.

"Why do you need your phone to urinate?" Edward called out.

"Just in case it turns into a doubleheader," I yelled back at him.

Remind me again…how long, exactly, did a phone have to be underwater for it to stop working? Guess we were about to find out…

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing! I know it was a bit of a fluff chapter, but it's about to get serious here as we wrap things up. Till next time.**

 **THANK YOU TO DOLLYBIGMOMMA FOR EDITING.**

 **STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

Edward did everything he could to provide the most stress-free environment for the flight back to Seattle. He had noise canceling earphones and an array of subscriber movie and television platforms. Lavender scented blankets and just a touch of alcoholic beverages to attempt to ease my distress. Far more than I deserved after our failed "vacay" trip.

Poor guy would have probably felt better coming back in a body bag.

The one gold star I did earn was not throwing up on the flight. Even if I hadn't eaten anything in over twelve hours, just to make sure I wouldn't. But that lovely boyfriend of mine was prepared with a Happy Meal waiting on the tarmac for me.

Lovely.

I began to say words in my head that sounded like the "L" word, but not quite. My hopes were that I would get over myself and just say it already. Le sigh.

In the end, no amount of tunneling into Edward's side to attempt sensory deprivation or meditation techniques would help me. Edward's future was becoming very bleak indeed. He would be wise to invest in a Skipper and Gilligan if he had plans to get me anywhere out of the country. Well, that was if he ever wanted to go anywhere with me again, especially after our disastrous weekend.

After spending five minutes over the toilet bowl, as I watched the lights fade from my poor urine-sullied phone, I said my farewells and then let out a piercing scream. Edward came barging into the bathroom like the room was on fire.

"Bella! What's wrong?" he asked, charging in completely naked. Seemed as if someone was a little too ready for me to join him back in bed.

"My phone!" I cried dramatically, looking down into the bowl.

Edward walked forward and took a gander for himself.

Now was the true test for the germaphobe.

"Can you get it out before it succumbs to its watery grave?" I asked.

I saw Edward begin to wring his hands, as he nervously assessed the situation.

"Maybe we should call maintenance up and have them retrieve the device. I'll…buy you a new one tomorrow."

I sighed and looked longingly at the phone one last time.

"If you feel that's best."

I walked slowly out of the bathroom. My eyes were downcast, but I imagined my vag was singing " _Celebrate"_ at the top of her lungs, all while doing the Cupid Shuffle.

I climbed back into bed and snuggled down under the covers, while Edward called down and alerted housekeeping of our unusual situation. I could just picture the person on the other end of that call, wondering why the billionaire couldn't be bothered reaching into the toilet and retrieving the damn phone himself. Damn rich people and their rich problems.

Edward pulled back the covers and slid in beside me.

"You know, I have my phone, and I did note that, when you were scanning through the channels earlier, there were some adult pay movies we could rent."

OH, MY GOD!

I felt myself cringing and wanting to bang my head into the nearest hard object. Apparently, that would be my boyfriend's dick, as I already felt it gently poking me in the butt.

"Edward, I…I just can't. I just lost my phone, and I'm completely torn up about it. Do you have any idea the mental ramifications it takes when you lose something so important? Imagine for a minute that it was your phone? I just want to go to sleep and forget this day ever happened."

Okay, I might have been a tad overdramatic. Looking back on it, that was probably what gave me away.

"Bella, it's just a phone. Let me take your mind off it," Edward replied, kissing up along my neck.

Oh no, if he kissed too much, I would be in a sexually induced haze that would lead to poor choices. _Must find a compelling argument before he completes his mission._ I felt myself tremble. My poor honey pot was doing everything she could to moisten herself, but I envisioned that she looked like a car that needed a smog check, choking out dust clouds.

I yawned and stretched my arms. "I think I need to sleep. I'm not feeling too well."

I felt Edward stop and pull away. He turned, and I no longer felt my butt being poked at like an excavation site.

"Bella, what's going on?"

Once again, I had to ask, was it too late to fake sleep?

"Uh…I'm just…not in the mood."

I stared at the blackout drapes and prayed he would let it go.

"Look at me."

Okay, he was not going to let it go.

I slowly turned over and looked at him in the eye, prepared for him to use his Jedi mind tricks on me to pull whatever information he required from the depths of my mind without my permission.

"You're lying to me," he stated after a few long seconds.

I scoffed and looked away. "Just go to sleep, Edward."

"No! Talk to me. Tell me what the matter is. Why don't you want to have sex? You want to watch porn, but you don't want to have sex with me. You felt the need to buy toys. What else aren't you telling me? Am I not good? Are you dissatisfied?"

"GOD!" I screamed. "It has nothing to do with you!"

I jumped out of bed and paced about until I slowly sat on the loveseat by the window.

Great, now I had self-conscious virgin Edward to deal with.

"I mean…well…it kind of does, but not in the way you think."

He sat there in bed with a menacing stare.

"My vagina hurts! I may have downplayed just how much it hurts. I can't…I just can't have sex again, unless you finding me crying in the corner afterward sexy. Okay?"

Edward looked away and shook his head slowly. "We just had sex in the shower. Was it hurting then?"

I so didn't want to answer that. Any answer I would give would surely be upsetting.

"Bella!"

I cringed and looked down.

"Why didn't you say something!" he barked. "God, Bella! Do you think I want to hurt you? That I find your pain pleasurable to me? Why on earth did you not stop me or tell me?"

I felt my cheeks warm at his pestering questions. If I told him the truth, he would be mad. If I lied and he figured it out, he would mad. If I lied and got away with it…hmm…what was a convincing lie for option "C" here?

I looked around and felt his penetrating, angry gaze. I didn't want to be here. I needed to leave. I jumped up and grabbed my robe, attempting to make it to the door. Edward popped out of bed so fast he was a blur and blocked me with his naked body.

"NO! You're not leaving here until you talk to me. Tell me the truth. It's uncomfortable, I know, but in order for this relationship to work, we have to be honest."

I wanted to laugh now, thinking back to this moment. If only I had known all the lies and deceptions he had created, I might have had one damn fine closing argument.

I couldn't look him in the eye. I huffed, annoyed, and turned to go back to my chair.

"Please, don't make me say it," I pleaded.

"Tell me!" he ordered calmly.

If I told him, he'd think I was a fucking nutcase. Well, he might already, but this would just add even more uncompromising evidence to his case.

"It hurt like hell before," I began slowly. "I…was upset with myself before. I…"

Edward slowly advanced on me, and I nearly wanted to seek cover under the chair before I finished my sentence…if I could manage to stop stuttering long enough to get it out.

"You tell me that you…" I stopped, still unable to say the word. Lovely. Lovely. Lovely. "Every time you declare your feelings for me…it makes me feel like shit. I know you want to tell me that you…you know…but when I hear it, it breaks me apart inside, because I can't tell you it back. It's really messing with my head. So yes, I stupidly let you fuck me, because I deserve to feel what you feel. Because I know that, when you say it and I don't, it hurts you. I hurt you over and over again by my incompetence. I deserve to feel pain…"

"You had sex with me as some form of punishment?" he seethed.

Okay, if I'd thought he was mad before, it was nothing like what I was witnessing now.

"Um…no?" I began to laugh. "It was a joke. My god, you should see your face. I was just kidding. In fact, everything was just a big, huge joke. My pussy is all systems go. We should really get to fucking."

I jumped up and tore off my nighty and fell into bed with my legs spread. I laid there and wagered a look at him. His jaw was tense, and I could tell from his eyes that he hadn't bought it. He melted from his stance and walked over to me, his eyes trained solely on my face. He came to a stop by the bed and then proceeded to push his fingers into me. I did everything I could to not cringe at the invasion, but I failed miserably, and he made his point. He pulled out and then sat down beside me.

"I waited for so long for you," he began quietly. "I thought of nearly nothing else since the day I met you. I dreamed of you. Dreamed of being able to hold you and love you and make love to you. What's the matter with you, Isabella? Why on earth would you ever use me to hurt you? I'm…horrified, and it makes me not want to ever touch you again. How could I ever trust you? Every time, I'd wonder if you're hating it. Wishing for it to be over. All I ever wanted was to be good for you. To give you pleasure and make you happy."

I felt the tears run down my face at his hollow, broken words. I had nothing to offer him. An apology would never be enough. I had done far more damage than I could make up for.

He stood up and walked to the chair and grabbed his robe and boxers. "I have work to do," he mumbled.

I spent the rest of my night crying. I never should have told him. _What were you thinking, Bella?_

When I woke up the next morning, I felt like I had a hangover. Edward wasn't beside me, but as I looked over to the clock, I saw that it was well past eleven. His meetings were set to begin at nine. He had left and hadn't even woken me up. He didn't want to see me. I deserved that.

I didn't know what to do. I still had no way of contacting Rosalie, who would know how to fix this. I didn't even have a cell phone. I went to the bathroom to find my phone sitting on a towel on the counter. I tapped at it, and of course, it wasn't working.

After showering and getting dressed, I walked downstairs to find my trusty sidekicks.

"You wouldn't happen to have Alice Cullen's phone number on you, would you?" I asked.

The Clearwater duo shared a look. I'd swear, they couldn't even answer a simple question without looking to one another, as if the answer was taped to their foreheads.

"Yes, Miss Swan."

The girl Clearwater walked over and handed me her phone with Alice's contact information. I grabbed a pen from off the side table and wrote the number down on my hand, before giving her the phone back.

I returned upstairs, away from prying ears, and flopped back onto the bed. Why I would decide to call Alice, I did not know. Probably because, if I thought to call and talk to Esme, she might not want to hear of mine and Edward's bedroom failings. Alice was the better choice. However, these days, it seemed as if I wasn't capable of making smart choices, so we would see how well my thought process was doing.

Alice picked up on the second ring.

"Who's calling me from Las Vegas?" she answered.

"Alice? It's me, Bella. Edward's…." What was I again? After last night, I might have been downgraded.

"Bella. I know who you are. What's up, Chica?"

I chewed on my inner cheek, as I tried to come up with something.

"Well…I don't really know why I called. I…uh…really pissed off your brother. I don't have anyone to talk to. I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't be talking to you about this."

"You can talk to me. I know how frustrating my brother can be. I'm an expert on it. What happened?"

"I don't want to go into too many details. For one…it has to do with our sex life, and I can imagine how grossed out you might be, but I recently upset him with something I did, and now…I don't know how he'll ever forgive me."

"Did you cheat on him?" Alice whispered.

"No! Never! I…lied to him and…it's complicated," I groaned out in frustration.

"Bella, you have to tell me more. I can't help you if you don't talk to me," she replied.

I sighed and told her the whole story. After this call, she should be nominated for sainthood. I couldn't imagine how weird it would be to hear about your brother's sex life and discuss it calmly with their significant other.

"Okay," Alice replied after I had finished. "Well, do you want the good news or the bad first?"

I nibbled on my thumbnail. "Just…tell me."

"Well, the good news is that Edward loves you. As much as you don't want to hear it, he loves you so much. I know that. Even if you'd cheated on him, he'd get over it. Not that I'm giving you permission to do that. So, the good news is that he'll forgive you because he loves you. You need to get over it. Just let him tell you that he loves you and stop seeing the bad in that declaration.

"The bad news is that it's going to take a lot of apologies on your part before he'll trust you again. Knowing Edward, he probably will be very self-conscious when you two do have sex again. There are going to be a lot of things going through his mind, and he'll probably be focused on anything but being with you. That's something you'll have to fix. It won't be easy. You can tell him a thousand times that everything is great, but since he was a virgin, it could mess with him regarding your sincerity."

I sighed and shook my head, even though she couldn't see me.

"I should never have had sex with him. He needed someone far more mentally stable than me."

"Don't say that! Things might be messed up now, but this will eventually fade, and Edward waited for you. If he'd gone out and screwed the first woman to cross his path, that might've messed him up, too. He wants you, Bella. And…from now on, if you care about him at all, you won't question that again."

Alice made me promise that I would see her on Christmas Eve for their annual bash. I promised, even though a part of me wondered if I would even be around by Christmas Eve. I didn't know what to do after my call with Alice. Edward and I had a date planned for that evening. Was that still happening? I hadn't eaten the entire day. My body was filled with anxiety for when Edward would arrive back to the hotel. I stayed in my room and watched television, while looking out the window every once in a while, gazing at the dancing fountains below.

It started to get late, and I wondered if I should get dressed for our date that evening. I went through the motions and dolled myself up, just in case, before waiting around and watching the clock, my hopes dwindling with every passing minute.

By nine thirty, I gave up. I pulled off my fancy dress and threw it into the corner. I was about to dive back into bed, but I decided against it. I threw on some skinny jeans and a nice top and made my way down the stairs.

Boy Clearwater was there and stood immediately at attention. I pressed the elevator button and walked onto the car without a word. Boy Clearwater followed along like a trusty Golden Retriever.

"Where are we heading to, Miss Swan?"

I bristled at the question. Partly because I knew he wanted to alert his boss, and partly because I didn't know where I was going.

"We'll know when we get there."

I walked through the Bellagio and watched all the fun that was being had. The passing bachelors and bachelorettes out for one last hurrah. The fancy ladies and gentlemen dressed to the nines on their way to dinner and a show. The crazy drunks gambling their hard-earned money away.

I saw a café and headed straight for it. My stomach was emptier than it had ever been before. I plopped down in a booth in the very back of the restaurant. Clearwater sat down a table away from me, and yet in perfect sight of the entire restaurant.

"Can I get you something to drink?" a nice waitress asked.

I hadn't even opened the menu.

"Do you have, like, a really huge banana split?"

She looked at me thoughtfully for a minute. "Bad day?"

"The worst."

"I'll see what I can wrestle up," she replied.

"Great. Can I also have a large order of French fries, an order of onion rings, and a Coke…keep them coming."

She left me be, and I lay my head down on the table, not caring if I was messing up my fancy makeup and hairdo. I opened an eye and saw the Keno cards on the table and pulled one out. I took the crayon they provided and began marking off numbers for fun as a minor distraction.

My food was brought to me eventually, and I sat there staring at the table before me. I could just imagine what the Clearwater was thinking. I guessed I shouldn't have been surprised when Edward showed up, but I was.

I didn't say a word. I put down my food and looked up at him slowly. He pulled out the chair opposite of me and sat down. Fancy ass suit and all. He didn't say a word, and neither did I, not for the longest period in history. But what could I say?

"I'm sorry," he apologized first.

I shook my head a little.

"I…uh…should've called or something."

I picked up my spoon and played with the melty mess in front of me. "You have nothing to apologize for," I whispered.

"No, I do. I should've been here. We had plans, and I ruined them."

"I don't deserve to go anywhere special. It's just as well. Can you just…go. I just…need to be alone with my ice cream."

I tried not to cry, but his very presence hurt so much that, if he didn't leave now, I worried that I would have a breakdown in a very public place.

"Bella…"

"Please, Edward. I just…I know that no amount of apologies from me will ever make up for what I've done. Please, just go."

I stared into my ice cream and willed myself to stay strong.

"I'm sorry. I fucked up. Please, Bella. Just give me a chance to make this right."

I laughed and finally looked him in the eyes. He could practically be my mirror image.

"You fucked up? You didn't do shit. I fucked up. Even Alice knows I fucked up. I…I…I don't know how to fix this. I want to say I'm sorry, but it doesn't feel like that's enough. I ruined you. I fucked you up, and even if you forgive me, it won't fix this."

Edward creeped over to my side of the booth and pulled me to him, crushing me into his suit. I pulled back, remembering my makeup and knowing that my tears mixed with my Covergirl would create an unholy mess on his jacket.

"No, I don't want to fuck up your suit, too," I blubbered.

"I don't give a fuck about my suit."

He brought his thumbs up and wiped my tears away, staining his fingers with my apparently not waterproof "waterproof" mascara.

"Yes, you messed up, but so did I. You said that you felt you needed to be punished, and I don't want to punish you, but…with my actions tonight and not being here, I did punish you. Even if I never meant to, by my failure to face you, I punished you by not showing up tonight. So…I'm sorry. I tell you all the time that I want you to stay and fight with me, and my anger caused me to do the opposite of my words. I'll work on being a better man."

He pulled me back and continued to hug me, while I soiled his perfectly expensive suit.

"I…hope you'll work on allowing yourself to…be loved. I don't ever want you to 'punish' yourself again for hearing me say 'I love you.' Contrary to what you've said in the past, I'm not Christian Grey. I don't get off on inflicting pain on the woman I love."

I pulled back a little and looked up at him. "What do you know about Christian Grey?" I asked skeptically.

Edward sighed and looked towards the table. "After you kept calling me that name, I picked up the book to find out what it was all about. I could only manage a chapter of that ghastly book before giving up on it completely, so I asked Seth to tell me about it instead. However, he hadn't read the book, either, so he had Leah come talk to me. To be honest, I don't know who was more uncomfortable with that conversation. I can't understand for the life of me how it managed to make so much money. It nearly makes me question everything I do for a living."

I squashed my laughter.

"Edward, I don't know how I'll make this up to you, but…I want you to know that I do care about you, and I never want you to think that I don't enjoy sex with you. In fact, I probably enjoy it a little too much most days. I sometimes wonder if I'm taking advantage of you. If I was a better person, I should've ended this…"

"God, don't say that! Please, don't ever say that," Edward pleaded.

"Alice said you'd forgive me, but it'd take a long time before you'd ever forget and trust me."

"I do forgive you, and I don't think it'll take as long as she or you believe. I know you, Bella. You're harder on yourself than anyone ever could be. I'm glad you talked to my sister. I know Rosalie's departure has brought you pain. You feel like you have no one, and I don't want that for you."

Edward said it wouldn't take long, but we were approaching Christmas Eve, and he had not moved to touch me once. Sure, he would come to bed and "spoon" me, but no longer was his toy soldier standing at attention.

I also felt a shift in our relationship. Edward took to working longer hours, and even though I would see him…as his assistant…I didn't really spend that much time with him.

I wanted to pull off some bold move, like waiting naked in bed for him, or seeing if he would make good on his deal for boyfriend services and service me if I asked him to in the middle of his day on his desk, but I was scared that he would reject me, and I had become so fond of my lovely…love…ing boyfriend, that I didn't want to mess anything up.

I instead placed my focus in finding him the perfect Christmas gift. But what the hell would I give him, when he could literally buy anything? I Googled "Top Christmas Gifts for Boyfriends," but that only gave me ideas like televisions and grill sets. So, I Googled "Top Christmas gifts for Billionaires," but that gave me a list of the most preposterous items, like villas and crystal-studded water bottles. They would take an average item and bedazzle the shit out of it. Edward didn't really seem like a crystal-studded water bottle kind of guy, even if I had the dough. So, I Googled "Top gift idea for billionaire boyfriends," and let's just say, I was back to square one.

Square one. Completely fucked!

I knocked on his office door the day before Christmas Eve.

"Come in."

Cautiously, I opened the door and walked in.

"Yes, Bella?"

He looked up and waited expectantly, like I would say something and then go.

"Uh…I wasn't sure…I didn't know if we should discuss this…now?" I felt my hand rise voluntarily to my mouth to nibble on my index finger's nail. "What should I tell your mother about tomorrow?"

I saw him breathe in deeply. "Do you wish to go?"

Wish? Right about now, I wished for a major life do-over.

"I know your mother would appreciate your presence. If it's easier…I could stay here, and you could just go," I offered.

"Why would that be easier?"

I sighed and shook my head. "Well…to be honest…ever since Vegas, I can't really get a read on you. I…wonder if you even want me here anymore," I said, finishing with a quiet whisper.

"Of course, I want you here. My apologies that I've been busy as of late. Its…the fourth quarter, and…I'm afraid it'll probably get worse as we head into tax season. Please, don't believe that I've stopped loving you, honey."

He stood up and came from around his massive desk. "Bella, do you want to go tomorrow evening?"

I nodded. "Yes, very much so. I'm…not exactly a soiree kind of gal, but it far outweighs my usual Christmas plans of bar hopping or falling into a sugar-induced coma while watching _Home Alone_ by myself."

Edward made the gesture to pull me into his chest. It felt awkward.

"Well…that beats my usual Christmas plans of focusing on our annual projections while ordering in a small ham dinner from down the street."

I stumbled a little out of his grasp and ran my hand through my hair. "Okay…so…what time should I tell your mom to expect us?"

He cleared his throat. "Well, I imagine you'll want to drive up?" He looked to me for confirmation.

"Whatever's best for you," I said honestly, hoping if I gave him this one, he might forgive me a little more for my past transgression.

"It's okay, Bella. We can take our time. Why don't you tell my mom to expect us around six? I have something I want to do with you in the morning before we go, if that's okay?"

I nodded and then slowly backed up to exit.

We were in serious need of a Christmas miracle if Edward and I were ever going to get back to where we once were. Be careful what you wished for. It seemed as if my Christmas miracle would mean for the tables to turn. Christmas Eve day? Magical. Christmas Eve night? The beginning of the end.

* * *

 **AN: The beginning of the end indeed. Thank you as always for your support of this story. I'm so happy to know that I've entertained you. TTFN**

 **THANK YOU TO DOLLYBIGMOMMA FOR EDITING.**

 **STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

"Bella?"

"Bella."

Edward softly shook me awake. His touch was so light that it made me wonder if he was having to put effort into touching me at all.

"What?" I finally responded.

I heard him pause, as if he was trying to think of what he should say, even if the sentence was simple.

"Time to get up."

I nodded and pulled the covers off, swaying the whole way to the bathroom. When I was finished, Edward was watching me from the mirror, while he went through his morning routine. Long gone were the days of joint showers. I tried not to look his way, while I undressed and entered his shower. When I was finished, he was nowhere to be found.

I sighed and went to my side of the closet and found something comfortable to wear, since we had a long drive ahead of us. I saw my dress for the extravaganza hanging in its garment bag behind me. It was deep red and something I would imagine a princess wearing. I hadn't picked it out. Alice had, and she'd had it sent over. I didn't even try it on, fearful that I would somehow ruin its pretentious fabric.

Edward reappeared. "I have everything in the car and ready. Do you want me to have them take your dress down?"

I nodded once again, not saying a word.

Edward never told me what he wanted to do with me that morning. I believed it was something bad, since the way we were these days, it wouldn't be something good. Edward drove his very favorite car. The black one. Don't even try to get me to remember what it was called. He had gone over his cars with me one night, but since I was not really a fast and furious kind of girl, it was all lost on me.

"I hope you don't mind, but I need to go by my house. I know you don't want to go inside. That's fine. You need not."

I nodded once again.

I didn't mind. It wasn't like Edward would bring out his super scary potion and have it ride shotgun for our trip. I felt his eyes trying to steal a look at me occasionally, but I refrained from commenting.

A few weeks ago, I'd had such high hopes for this Christmas. Stupidly, I had believed it was going to be the best Christmas since my mom's passing. I'd guess it went to show you that you really shouldn't count your chickens until they hatched.

We finally pulled up to his high gates, and I wondered if it was too late to beg him to fire up the company jet. I couldn't imagine having to sit like this for the next four or so hours, while we drove toward his parents' house. Inadvertently, Edward had found a cure for my plane fears after all.

I was a little surprised, when he didn't drive toward his house. Instead, he headed around the property. Did he really think I was that afraid of the contents inside his house? I saw a really tall, stone building come into view. Maybe it had been there all along, and I had never noticed. It was not as if I had spent that much time outside of the premise, and I had only stayed with Edward a handful of times, so it was understandable that I didn't know of its existence. The building, which was about three stories high, was completely detached from his main house.

"What is this?" I asked.

I wondered if he had built his own laboratory to continue with his research. The sooner he found his cure for cancer, the sooner he could get rid of that vial that hung around his bedroom.

"I…had it built…for you."

Color me confused.

I gave him my best confused emoji face.

"It's…my Christmas gift to you. Do you not recognize it?"

I saw how nervous he was. I still hadn't gotten him a damn thing, and he had built me this weird, square building. I scanned it over and finally noticed something etched into the face, way up towards the top. My mouth fell open, as I began to let the pieces fall into place. I felt myself move to climb out of the car, as I realized what he had built. Impossible.

Edward followed me. My mouth was still hanging open.

"Nooo…" I gasped in disbelief. "You didn't…you…no…"

"Come on," he said, taking my hand. We went around the side, where there was a long staircase up to this little door.

I was speechless.

My breath had been taken away.

Edward had built me a vault. Remember when he had asked me what I would do if I was a billionaire? I had said I wanted to swim around in the money like Scrooge McDuck.

The door opened, and we walked out onto this platform.

"I know this isn't exactly what the one looked like from the cartoon. But I asked them to make it somewhat functional. I had them bring in the furniture, and as you can see, the ceiling is made of glass, so you have natural light."

There was a long, wide chaise lounge to one side in deep purple velvet. And a table to the other side with comfy chairs. There was even a television with surround sound speakers.

"I wanted you to have a place of your own. One that you can bring friends to. A place you could come and have fun."

We walked over, and off the edge was thousands of round pieces.

"As I said, if you were to dive into real coins, it'd cause damage, so I had these foam fake coins made. It's…obviously not the real thing, but I hope you'll still get the feel…"

I tugged on his arm and made him look at me. My eyes were swimming, because this was the single greatest thing anyone had ever done for me. Just the thought that he would go to the trouble to realize a silly fantasy of mine...

"I can't believe you did this for me," I whispered.

Edward paused, trying to find an appropriate response. I saw him squash his lips together before answering.

"I love you, Bella. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you," he vowed.

I wanted to say something equally sweet and sappy, but I refrained. Instead, I backed up a little towards the edge of the platform.

"You mean that?" I asked, pulling Edward's hand.

I couldn't stop my mischievous smile from unfolding. Edward understood what it was that I wanted. He looked over to the pile of fake foam coins below us, and his face turned playful. Before I knew it, he picked me up and tossed me overboard. I screamed, falling into the soft pile.

"You'd better get your ass down here, Cullen!" I yelled.

He looked back, and then he took a running jump, before flying into the pile behind me. I had to say, it felt like a workout. Scrooge McDuck made this look easy, but I felt as if I was on a trampoline.

"Talk about working my core muscles."

"Well, underneath are trampolines," he said, confirming my suspicions. "Even if we get rid of the coins eventually, it could still provide some fun. The walls are lined with padding to avoid accidents, so it'd be safe to even bring kids here someday."

I swam over the foam and headed in his direction. I picked up a foam coin and threw it at his face. He narrowly dodged it.

"Hey, be careful. Do I need to make a list of rules for safety?" he scolded.

"I wanted a boyfriend. Not a hall monitor," I teased, throwing another one.

"That's it! You're getting it now."

Edward trudged through the foam coins to try and get me. I dove away and tried to swim upstream, but surprise, surprise, he was far more athletic than I was and easily caught up to me. He pulled me back, while I flailed my arms. His fingers dug into my hips and reached around to tickle my stomach.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and begged him to stop, fearing I might be that kid. You know what I was talking about. The kid who peed in the ball pit at Chuck E. Cheese. Edward stopped, and my face was inches from his. My lips hadn't been this close in weeks. His eyes stared into mine, and I finally felt as if everything was normal again between us. Well, as normal as it could get for the pair of us.

"I'm sorry for Vegas," I whimpered.

He looked confused.

"I miss you," I whispered.

Edward sighed and looked down. I was fearful that I had just fucked up the moment.

"No, Bella. I'm sorry. I don't care about what happened in Vegas. I…I…I was distant, because I was worried that you were still in pain. I didn't want to touch you, because I knew if I started…I might not stop, and I didn't want to hurt you while you were healing."

Now, it was my turn to be confused.

"You haven't touched me because you think my vag is still hurting? God! Edward! It hasn't hurt since we got back. I mean…you really thought I was in pain this whole time? The only pain I was in was knowing how upset you were with me and knowing I couldn't fix it."

"I wasn't upset with you," Edward said quickly. "I was upset with myself. Not only did I hurt you physically, but…I didn't show up for our date. I hurt you by not showing up. My reasoning was childish. I was trying to get back at you, and when I realized how my actions hurt you, I hated myself for it."

"Why didn't you tell me that! Do you have any idea how fucked up I've been over this? I kept thinking that, at any moment, you were going to shuck me," I smacked him lightly in the chest.

"Shuck you? I love you! I'd never."

I smashed my lips to his and sealed my hands on his neck, so he wouldn't be able to move until he'd done kissed me right. My body melted into his, and I felt him wrap his hands around my waist and pull me closer, the foam coins being pushed aside, as he settled his weight on me. I opened my legs willing to feel his body closer while we made out.

So many thoughts ran through my mind. I couldn't believe how our inability to communicate had caused us so much strife. Was he serious that, if I had just told him when we got back that the old kitty was off strike and ready with her bowl of milk, we could have been having sex this whole time?

"Edward," I stopped, pulling back from the kiss. "Um…I want to say something."

What was I going to say? You know me, once I got my mouth going, it rarely stopped.

"I need to say something."

"Bella, whatever it is, please, don't apologize anymore. Can we just put Vegas behind us?"

I nodded, and he tried to resume kissing, but I pulled back.

"It's just…the last couple of weeks have really made me think. Think about my life with you. I thought about life without you, and then I'd begin to feel a panic attack come over me. I don't want to have a life without you. I'm not a very appealing option. I know that. I come with a lot of baggage that stops me from being the ideal candidate for someone like you, but…I want you. Like _really_ want you," I rushed in saying, fearful that my tears would overwhelm me, and I wouldn't be able to talk without going high-pitched. "I want everything with you. A future. I want children with you. I think I'll be a crappy parent, but I know you'll be a good father, and although I'm not the best example of a fifty percent good parent model, I have to believe that we could be good together…in the future….if….you can want me, too?"

I wiped the tears from my eyes, and I could finally make out his face. He had tears in his eyes, too. He shook his head a little and pulled me back in for another kiss. And then another. And another.

"God, Isabella Swan! You have no idea how happy your words make me. Even if I don't agree with much of your statement."

He returned to kissing me, but then he pulled at my shirt and lifted it off me with ease. I joined him in the undressing Olympics in hopes for a gold medal. It got really tricky when it came to our pants. The damn foam coins kept getting in our way, as we furiously tried to rip the offending clothes from our bodies. I groaned out in desperation that this was taking too long.

"Let's move this back upstairs," Edward offered.

I turned and took off towards the ladder, but Edward had a better handle on trudging through the fake coins, so he got there before me. He pulled me the rest of the way and let me go up first. The second I was topside, I dropped my pants and underwear, and Edward followed suit. Once we were both bare to the world, he picked me back up and took me to the chaise lounge.

Thankfully, because it had been so long since the last time we'd had sex, Edward didn't waste time with foreplay. My legs were open for business, ready to accept my first customer. The minute he was inside me, he did pause, looking down at me for confirmation.

"Come on! I told you, I'm all systems go!"

He started his natural motions and returned to kissing me along my neck. Just feeling him filling me felt like a breath of fresh air. I could breathe again. I saw stars! It was that damn good. I looked up into Edward's eyes, and I felt his love for me. That was right. I said it. Well…I didn't "say" it…not out loud, but this was a step in the right direction.

I'd imagine that we could have spent the whole day and night on that chaise lounge. It might have been preferable to what our future had in store, but Edward knew how much it would hurt his mom if we recanted now and went absent from her party.

You know how earlier, I had thought that I wanted to take the jet, because it would be preferable to spending four hours trapped in a small moving box with a man who seemed irritated by my very presence? What the hell had I been thinking? Now, I wished he would have hired a driver, because I couldn't keep my hands off him.

"Bella," he said my name in warning. "You should be wearing your seatbelt."

I was kissing him along his neck and groaning suggestively into his ear.

"I can't help myself. You should pull over and call one of the Clearwater's in to drive. We could take the backseat," I giggled.

I saw him smile at the thought. I knew he would never go for an audience, but it was worth a shot.

"Boy Clearwater or girl Clearwater, take your pick."

"Bella," he scolded. "They'd probably quit if we subjected them to that."

"Great! Two birds with one stone."

He sighed and shook his head, never taking his eyes off the road.

"Be good! And as much as you don't want to hear this, even after the threat is neutralized, I was thinking of hiring them full-time."

I flopped back in my seat. "Why?" I complained.

"Because…like you said…if we have children…" he said, testing the waters to see if I would renege, "…we'll want them to be protected. They'll always be a target for kidnappers and shady types."

I reached over and began undoing his belt. "You know, a great way to have children is to practice, practice, practice."

I pulled his dick from his pants and began to run my hand up and down his shaft. I saw him struggling, because he wanted to tell me to stop, but he also didn't want me to stop. I leaned over and began to take him into my mouth.

"Bella," he squeaked. "Um…correct me if I'm wrong, but perhaps it's another thing my sexual education class failed to inform me on. I don't believe we could…make a baby…using these current situational means. I was under the impression that you can't get pregnant from sucking me off."

I snorted and came up for air.

"Dude, you're lucky you didn't cum just then, because that shit would be squirting out my nose."

"Bella, please, be good and put your seatbelt back on."

"I can't help it! I'm so horny, and it's been so long," I whined.

"We just had sex an hour ago."

I huffed and sat back in my seat, strapping myself back in like he requested. I stared straight forward with my arms crossed, now irritated.

"I know what you need," Edward said, reaching into the backseat, after he had struggled to zip his pants back up.

"Here." He placed a heavy plastic bag in my lap.

I peeked inside and saw a wonder to behold.

"Do not get it all over my car. I put wipes in there as well, so your dirty fingers don't mess with my interior."

I gasped and looked at him. "You really do love me," I declared, pulling out a Twinkie from the bag of goodies.

Edward sighed once more and looked out his side window. "That's what it takes to get you to realize it," he grumbled, shaking his head.

I pulled open a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and nearly swallowed it whole.

"Edward, answer something for me. I mean…besides the whole germaphobe thing, why is it that rich people always have issues with making sure their cars and such are impeccably kept? You're afraid that, if I drop a Skittle, it'll ruin your interior, but you not only have enough money to pay to have your car detailed, but worse-case scenario, you could afford a new car, and yet, I know if I did drop that Skittle, you'd probably never forgive me."

He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Of course, I'd forgive you."

"But you'd be mad," I said quickly.

"I'd…be upset at your carelessness, but I'd get over it."

"But it's just a Skittle! Calm the fuck down. You'd wage a war with me over a Skittle? You'd want us to fight, because I accidentally smashed a Skittle into your floor mat?"

"Bella, I wouldn't wage a war with you over a Skittle. I would, however, ban you from having food in my car."

"Okay…so, what if I went out and bought a car? Let's say…a Ford Focus, and I told you that, every time we would ride together, I'd want to use my car, so I can smash Skittles into my floor mats without the possible reprimands. Would that be cool with you?"

He laughed. "Bella, you'll not be buying a Ford Focus. They're untrustworthy cars that'll leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere."

I held up my hands. "Sorry, dude, the Focus is what I can afford. I guess you'll have to drive behind me in your fancy-schmancy…whatever the hell this is."

"Well, that's just silly. I'll buy you a safe, reputable car."

"You won't be buying me shit!" I replied. "I can afford the Focus on my salary, and there'll be more than enough money left over for the twin car seats in the back for our future kids."

I knew I was winding him up. I could see how irritated he was getting at the first mention of an American brand car.

"Our future kids will NOT be riding in a FOCUS!" he nearly shouted. "They're a deathtrap, and as my wife, I'd expect that you'd allow me to make a sensible purchase on your behalf. Take the damn BMW, Bella."

"First of all, I'm not your wife. We can table that discussion for later. My whole point is, you sit here, arguing with me over cars and Skittles, and you could've shut me up long before all this talk if you'd just fucked me. You see how that works?"

Edward immediately relaxed. He looked over at me, and I sat back suggestively and opened my legs. The car immediately raced off to the side and towards an exit. I wanted to laugh, wondering what the Clearwater clan must think of Edward's erratic driving.

That was what I loved about Washington. With so many trees, it was never hard to find a place for a little privacy. Only a couple hundred feet from the main road, and we had the whole place to ourselves.

I threw off my seatbelt and shimmied out of my pants. Edward grabbed his phone and fired off a text to who I imagined was a Clearwater. I knew I should have been worried that they were behind us and probably watching the car, but Edward had excellent tint on his windows. But it wouldn't take a genius to know what we were up to the minute I straddled his dick and let my pussy swallow it up. I bounced up and down vigorously, moving the whole tiny car with my movements, the damn ceiling bumping into my head. Edward and I were groaning so loudly that I was sure squirrels nearby would be running for their nearest holes to hide.

"God, I can't wait to put a baby in you," Edward said.

"Practice makes perfect," I replied, slamming myself down with every word.

"Go off birth control. Please. Bella, please…"

I stopped and looked him in the eyes, our chests rising and falling with the exertion from our extracurricular activities.

Make a baby already? I was due in January for my next injection.

"Okay," I replied.

Edward pulled me forward and vigorously attacked my lips with my acceptance. I began to bounce up and down once more, and this time, it was quick for both of us. I rested my head on his shoulder, not wanting to leave just yet. I pulled back, and he kissed me gently.

"You have no idea how much that means to me, Bella. The greatest Christmas gift you could've given me."

CRAP! I had forgotten all about Christmas gifts for Edward.

I laughed a little. "That's good to hear, because…I kind of had a hard time finding something decent to give you. Unless a diamond-encrusted water bottle is up your alley, because I could have that sucker here by Monday."

"As I said, Bella. You've already given me the greatest gift."

So, it might have taken us a lot longer than we foresaw getting to Edward's parents' house. As we drove up, there were swarms of people running around, preparing for the event. Edward parked his car in the garage and directed the Clearwater's to do the same.

"There you are!" Alice berated the minute we entered the house. "It's about damn time. Did you even plan on showering before this evening?"

I wanted to tell her that I had about ten thousand of her brother's swimmers trying to escape across the southern border, with only a thong holding them back, but I refrained, trying to stay in the Christmas spirit.

"We have enough time, Alice," Edward said.

"You do, but your girlfriend still has to wash, dry and style her hair. That kind of magic doesn't just happen in a quick minute."

Edward placed his hands on my hips and walked me towards his room. "We'd better get going, or else we'll have little time for what I have planned," he whispered in my ear. I didn't hear a damn thing Alice said after that.

Dressed impeccably in my red satin frock, my hair and makeup done perfectly according to Alice's requirements, we were down to greet all the Cullen's guests.

Esme gave me a warm, firm hug and thanked me for getting her son there that evening. I had never been to anything quite like this before. Esme's grand dining room had double doors that opened out to their massive patio. Every bit was decorated in frosted snowflakes, holly and red ribbons. A tree in the corner twice the size of any tree I'd ever had sparkled with lights. I felt myself become overwhelmed at the sight.

"Something the matter, honey?" Edward asked.

I fanned my face and bit my lip. "This is all so beautiful. I just…I'm so happy. I can't believe this is my life now."

Edward's hand reached up and cupped my cheek. "You're not alone anymore, Bella. You'll never be alone again," he vowed.

I felt like a princess. Dressed in a hundred yards of fabric. Wearing some ostentatious jewels Edward had gifted me with and drinking champagne with the "West Egg" people. West Egg? East Egg? That damn book always confused the hell out of me.

"Do you want to dance?" I asked Edward.

"Uh…I'm…I'm not the best…"

Finally, something Edward wasn't good at. I smiled and took his hand, leading him to the dance floor. We stood facing one another, and Edward took my hand and placed his other hand on my hip.

"Edward, we're not in a Catholic high school. You don't need to leave room for the holy ghost."

I stepped closer and then placed my hands around his neck and let him sway with me to the music.

"Now, I know why I never wanted to spend Christmas's here," Edward began. "I never had anyone I wanted to dance with until now."

We danced for a little while, until Alice came and pulled me away to show me the tables and what decorations she had helped design for the centerpieces. Apparently, that was what Alice did for a living. She was a party planner. She had designed every opulent decoration for that evening. Edward was pulled outside by his father to join Jasper and a couple of the men, as they discussed business and politics.

Alice excused herself to go to the restroom, and I looked around for someone I knew. I didn't see Esme, so I began to walk towards the outside to find Edward.

"May I have this dance?"

I turned and see an older gentleman beside me. I looked around to see if he was speaking to me.

"Isabella, I believe I may have something you'd like to see."

"How do you know my name?"

"We have a mutual friend."

I furrowed my brow, but I took his hand, as he led me out to the dance floor. We were in a very public place, so I wasn't worried. I'd guess I should have been.

"What friend?" I asked, as we took our places.

"Marcus Rose is my brother."

I immediately tried to step back, but his grip was sound.

"Oh no, don't hurry off just yet without your party gift."

"What gift?" I sneered.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thumb drive. "I know you think I'm the enemy, but how much do you know about the man you're trying to protect? Edward Cullen. I doubt much. Because if you knew what I knew, I don't see how you'd be so willing to help him."

My eyes were scanning for Edward. For Seth or Leah. Where the hell was everyone?

I felt my heart racing, but a part of me knew that, no matter what this man might have to say, he wasn't going to try anything in a roomful of people, so I indulged him further.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Everything you need to know…should know…is on this drive. Just what lengths Edward went to in order to get you."

"I know Edward bought out Newman's to get me to come work for him," I replied.

The man laughed. "If only it started there." He pulled back to look me in the eye. "You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" I asked cautiously, wondering how damning the information was that he had.

"Isabella, Edward has been watching you since you were barely legal. Making moves on your behalf to ensure that you ended up here, right where he wanted you. He's had a tail on you since you were eighteen, watching your every move and orchestrating your life far more than you ever knew. And if you don't believe me? Everything you need is right here. All the proof. The countless steps Edward took in your life to change things to benefit himself."

I felt myself trembling with this new information. What if what he was saying was true? How many lies had Edward spun?

"I don't believe you. I don't care," I whispered.

"Somehow, I think you're lying. You want to know what's on this drive. You should know. You're living with the man." He stopped and feigned surprise. "Oh, that's right! You're only living with him because of a fire at your apartment, right? That's curious that a fire burns down your home, and Edward just happened to benefit from it."

My head was spinning. My breaths were short.

"See for yourself."

He placed the drive into my hand, and while I was suffering from a minor heart attack, he was gone, and I had no idea where he had fled to.

"Bella?" Alice called out to me.

I looked over to her and nearly collapsed, but she grabbed ahold of me.

"Jasper, go get Edward," Alice ordered.

She pulled me away from the party, and I felt my whole body shaking and shivering, as I tried to wrap my head around what had just happened. We went into Daddy Cullen's study, and she led me over to a chair to sit down.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Edward rushed to me and took my hands.

I pulled away from him, as if he had just branded me with a hot iron.

"Bella?" Edward said woundedly.

"I want to know," I whispered. "You have one chance, and if you lie even once to me, I'm done."

"Bella, what are you talking about?"

I tried to stop my hands from shaking, but they wouldn't.

"Did you have me followed? Since I was eighteen? Did you burn down Rosalie's apartment, so I'd move in with you? What the hell else haven't you told me? What else have you lied to me about?" I screamed.

I didn't need the drive for proof, the proof was written all over Edward's face.

"Please, let me explain…"

My heart was broken. No amount of tears would suffice as payment. Everything had been going so well. My world was over. Now, it all turned to black.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing. Hang in there!**

 **THANK YOU TO DOLLYBIGMOMMA FOR EDITING.**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	28. Chapter 28

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

My world did turn black. Overwhelmed with the new information, I had embarrassingly become one of those girls who'd faint at the mention of devious deceptions. But now was not the time for embarrassment.

I laid on Edward's childhood bed, my pretty red dress expertly laid out around me, as if this were my wake. I didn't think I was out too long. I could still hear music from down below, as the guests partied and drank themselves stupid, not knowing that my world was coming to an end above them.

"Bella," Edward walked the two steps from where he stood, waiting for me to awake from unconsciousness.

He took a seat on the bed beside me, sparing the dress, as if we would work out our problems and be able to get back downstairs for the champagne toast that was to commence at midnight.

"Stay away from me," I whispered.

I sat up and noticed that my "party gift" was no longer in my hands.

"Where is it? What did you do with it?" I ordered.

Edward pulled the drive out from his pocket. "I have it here," he replied softly.

I snatched it from his fingers. "Let me guess? You erased the contents," I accused.

"No! I didn't. If you really want to see…you have every right to. I know what I've done is wrong, but please, Bella. Please, give me a chance to explain my case and beg for your forgiveness. You promised me you'd never walk away without giving me a chance to fix things. Please."

It was odd. This was the man whose virginity I had taken, and yet, he had never seemed more vulnerable than he was right now. I placed the drive on the table beside the bed slowly and looked him in the eyes.

"Edward, if you value me and this relationship at all, I'm going to give you one chance. If I find out you're lying, I'll leave, and you'll never see me again."

He nodded and agreed to my terms.

He stood up from the bed and walked over to the window. "I don't know where I can even begin to start. I'll…tell you everything. Everything I can remember."

"I want you to look at me when you speak. I want to know that, if you lied, you did so to my face."

Edward turned around and went to sit down in the chair next to his bed. His eyes were downcast as he began. He took a slow breath in and then did as I requested, raising his eyes to mine.

"When I made my first million, I felt giddy with the power I thought it gave me. Silly, really, that I should feel so much power from only a million. A million…it doesn't really buy as much as one would think. I thought about what I wanted, and you popped into my mind.

"I'd attribute your intervention that day we met as the reason why I was so focused and successful. I wondered about you. What happened to you. Where you were. So, I paid for someone to look in on you. I thought that, if you were in a relationship, I'd leave you alone to go on about your life. But the first investigator I hired had very little good news to report. He took pictures, and I saw you'd turned into this amazingly beautiful woman. Grown up before my very eyes. Your mother had died, your father spending his salary at the local Indian casino. And you…you were addicted to painkillers. The first way I intervened in your life was to frame your dealer. I had my people plant enough evidence on him that he's still in prison to this day."

I felt my breath leave me, as Edward's first admission was like a powerful slug to my stomach. Not that my dealer at the time probably didn't warrant some punishment for his crimes, but to know that he had been taken out of my life by Edward, a boy who I had only met once before this, shocked me to my core.

"I knew it wasn't enough to get you clean, so I orchestrated to have you taken and put out in the middle of the woods, to be found by my people who'd see to your detoxification."

"You knew Billy?" I asked.

Edward cleared his throat and stiffened. "He's…Jacob's father. Was Jacob's father. He died a couple of years ago."

God, would my brain ever get off this carousel?

"Yes, I had you followed. Every single day of your life, there was someone always watching out for you. Only a handful of times did the person intervene. I just wanted to make sure you were safe. I didn't know why I was doing all of this. I kept telling myself that I wanted to repay you, but as the years passed, I knew I'd developed affection for you, and I was too afraid of coming to you and hoping I could win your heart honestly. I'd seen how many men you'd had over the years. Yes, my men who watched over you would step in from time to time and…stop…you from going with certain men. Men who they took on a judgment call, who they deemed to possibly be dangerous."

"Did you have Rosalie's apartment building burned down, so I'd move in with you?" I interrupted. I think this idea scared me most of all. As much as it might piss me off that Edward had intervened in my sex life, the apartment thing was still the worst of it.

"No," he said, looking hurt for saying it.

"Edward," I warned.

"I didn't order Rosalie's apartment building to be burned down." He stopped, and I could see he was preparing for what he planned on saying next. "But I didn't stop it, either."

I felt the breath I was holding turn into a sob.

"Bella, I didn't order it. That was Marcus Rose, in retaliation for you not doing as he requested, but Jacob alerted me to his intentions, and I had enough time to stop it all…at least call the authorities…but I didn't. I didn't want you going back to that dangerous neighborhood and sleeping on the floor. I knew I could afford to pay everyone who lost their home, and I did pay. I compensated them greatly…"

"YOU HAD NO RIGHT!" I screamed. "God, Edward! Do you really not know that what you allowed to happen was wrong? You can't just throw money at people to assuage your guilt. Those people, who I'm sure you looked at as no more than peasants, they had much more than a crappy home to lose. They lost everything! There are things that no amount of money can replace. You don't know, because you, who was born with a silver spoon up your ass, would never know what it's like to have nearly nothing but a few cherished keepsakes. The money you gave them is offensive."

I got off the bed, needing more distance between us. I paced around in that damn royal red ball gown. I wanted to rip it from my body, but I didn't really feel like getting undressed in front of the man who sat by the window. The man who I thought I could…

But now what? What now? Leave? Go far away and wonder if Edward would have me followed the rest of my days? Stay? That was even more of a frightful notion at this point.

"Bella, please, talk to me. I know there's nothing I can say to make up for what I've done, but please, don't leave me."

I shook my head and stared at the wall. I wiped a few errant tears away. "What else have you lied to me about?" I asked softly.

I turned back around and stood there, looking tall compared to the man in front of me. But I believed I was as broken as he was.

"What else did you lie about, Edward? Were you…not a virgin when we met? Did you tell me that to soften me up?"

He laughed humorlessly. "I've never heard of someone lying about their inexperience to make them see even less. I'd imagine most men lie the other way and inflate their numbers. I didn't lie about being a virgin, Bella. After seeing how many men you've been with, I did think about not telling you, because I thought it might turn you off. It was a personal decision to stay a virgin, because…if you couldn't be my first and last, then the concept of sexual gratification would be gladly lost to me."

"You have no right to be upset with me. These are valid questions. I don't know if I'll ever be able to trust you and your intentions ever again! I'll always be left to wonder when something happens in your favor if you played a part in it."

Edward stood up and came over to me. "Bella, everything I've ever done has been for your benefit. It wasn't my favor that I wished for. It was yours! I never even thought our paths would cross until your father passed, and then…I didn't want you being all alone in Forks."

"So, that's when you decided to once again step in and buy Newman's."

Edward sighed and nodded. "And…I bought your father's house."

I laughed. Like, really laughed. "Of course, you did! No wonder. It never made sense that someone would pay so much for that crappy house."

"It's yours if you ever…want it," Edward replied softly.

"Were you ever planning on telling me this, or were you going to make another deception and just happen upon its availability and then gift it to me, like some perfect boyfriend present?"

"I never planned what I was going to do with the house. I didn't even know if it held any importance to you, but I couldn't see it bank owned and or demolished. I figured you'd have some fond memories there with your mother, and I was hoping to protect…"

"Protect?" I sneered. "In whose definition? You did everything for me? To protect me? To honor me? I can't imagine how you must've felt rewarded for all your years of service and countless dollars spent the first time my pussy swallowed your cock! All the times we fucked was payment for a debt I had no awareness of."

"IT WAS NEVER LIKE THAT, BELLA!"

I turned around, unable to look at him, but I felt his presence at my back.

"Bella, I cherished every single time we had sex…that we made love. I never thought of it…"

"Made love?" I laughed. I turned back around to him. "We never made love, Edward. Like I told you before, it takes two people who…love each other to make love."

"The first time we shared this bed, we made love, and you can't deny that. You may not say the words, but I can feel it when I'm inside you," he accused.

"You wish!"

"You mean to tell me that you never felt that with me? Felt that connection, that it was more than just sex? I don't believe you. Now, look who's lying."

I was lying. I was lying, because I wanted to cause him pain for causing me pain. I took two slow steps toward him.

"You're right…I did feel it. I felt that connection. For the first time, I thought maybe this is what love was, when you fucked me this morning in the vault."

He shook his head slowly. "No, you felt it much sooner than that, but you don't want to tell me. You want to lie to me? Fine. So be it. I don't believe you. I know my faults are many, but you've done things, too. You've lied to me, but I forgave them all, because my love for you is stronger than any lie."

My mouth dropped open slowly, as I took in his words. "You want to throw that in my face now? I did what I did because my friend's life was in jeopardy. I would've gladly let them kill me if it hadn't been for Jacob throwing Rosalie's name out there. What I did and what you did, it can't compare."

I walked over to the bedside table and picked the drive back up.

"I'm going to go through this now, and if there's anything you haven't told me…that you should've told me, I'll be gone by morning. And don't you dare send your henchman out to follow me this time, or I'll file a restraining order against you."

Edward reached out for his suit coat and folded it over his arm. He turned to go to the door but stopped. He turned back around to me.

"Bella, I know what I did was wrong. If there's anything I can do to make up for my past actions, I'll do it. I know you don't want to believe in love, but that's what I feel for you. Even if you can't forgive me…at least believe that one truth from me. I hope that…what you feel in your heart will be enough to give me a second chance. I don't deserve it, but please, don't…throw us away."

I could see every word coming out of his mouth weighed heavily on him. I felt that weight on my chest, as I took in his final request.

"I'll leave you the room for the night, so you may have your privacy."

The door closed, and he was gone. The weight I was experiencing on my chest only grew heavier with his absence. I pulled out the drive and looked at it, wondering what was on it. I was dying to know, and yet…afraid to know. What did I hope to find by looking at it? Edward, who gave me the worst of his warped sense of protection? Or more lies to be uncovered, leaving me to exit stage right and draw the final curtain on Edward Cullen?

Less than twelve hours before, we had spoken of our future and children, and now, even if I could forgive Edward for everything he had done, how could I trust him to not do it again? What would he do to get me to marry him? How many lives would be ruined in pursuit of my acceptance? What would he do to have a baby? Would he sabotage any birth control I might take, if I decided that, come January, I would go and get my injection?

I dropped that gorgeous dress to the floor and stepped out from it. I left the shell behind and flopped down on the bed in my pricy undergarments. What did I feel for Edward Cullen? If I did, in fact, love him, then…wouldn't the answer be simple? Get over it and move on. Wasn't that what people did when they were in love? They just…got over it and moved on. No matter the betrayal.

I felt as if I had lost my mother all over again. That feeling that your life would never be the same. You wondered how you'd ever recover, to go about the next day, and the next. What I wouldn't do to have my mother now. How I needed her counsel now more than ever. I had my first real boyfriend probably eight years too late, and he had hurt me. _What should I do, Mom?_

I felt my tears slide down, as I closed my eyes, trying to remember her voice. Her soft smile, and the way her eyes would light up when she saw me. I had been precious to her. I tried to listen, as if she would appear as the ghost of Christmas past and guide me.

As messed up as I was, I knew that no amount of words from Rosalie or Alice would help me now. I needed someone far wiser to help me in my time of need.

The thumb drive mocked me. Lying on the bed, it begged me to plug it into Edward's laptop on the desk and take a stroll down Isabella Swan memory lane. Edward's violations were too great. He deserved to feel my wrath.

I cried and cried and cried.

I spent all night going back and forth on Edward. When I arose the morning of Christmas, there was no joy for the presents under the tree. No childish excitement. I showered, but it did little to repair me. However, it did unclog my nose that was full of snot from my "oh sobbing night."

I dressed in a warm white sweater and black pants. I was running a comb through my hair, as I heard a knock on the door. I sighed and readied myself for Edward. I was sure he was here, desperately searching for my decision.

But when I opened the door, it was not Edward.

"Hi," I whispered.

"Bella," Esme reached out to touch my cheek. "Can I come in?"

I let out a sob at her words, and she pulled me in, squeezing me tightly to her chest.

"I'm sorry," I cried softly.

"No, honey. Come here. Let's have a seat."

She led me to the bed, closing the door behind her.

"I'm sure Edward told you," I managed.

"No…not much. Only that he messed up big time, and now…he may lose you."

Her fingers ran through my hair. I closed my eyes and could almost imagine it was my mother's fingers doing the work.

"Bella, I don't know what happened, and I'm not here to find out or take sides. I just thought that, as much as Edward is torn up, that you probably needed a friend, too."

"I don't know what to do. Edward violated my trust, badly. How can I forgive him? How can I moved past this and even think of keeping him in my life? I don't know if I want him because I…care for him…or because I don't want to be alone anymore. Or should I just forgive him, because I don't want to return to the life I had before he came into it? That doesn't sound right. What do I do? Leave him, and then what? I'm so lost, and I have no one to talk to," I whimpered.

"You're not alone, Bella. Even if my son and you were to part ways, we're here for you. We love you, too."

"How is that even possible? You barely know me."

Esme smiled. "You'll know when you have children. It's easier than you think. My son…he's been so lost for so long. Any person he could care for and love would have to be special. He'd never waste his time on a girl if they weren't the absolute best.

"I've seen the miracles you've worked in my son within the short period of time you've been in his life, and I know there's a reason he cares so much for you. Forgiveness is a gift. And not one you should give lightly. You have to mean it. You have to search your heart and find it. You should never say you forgive someone unless you mean it, even if it takes time. And I know Edward, he'd wait the rest of his life for it. He'd rather wait and earn it, rather than taking something that's meaningless."

I rubbed my head from the massive headache that consumed my fried brain.

"I'm sorry if all our drama ruined your Christmas. It was your first Christmas back with your son, and…"

"Bella," she said, taking my hands, "You have nothing to apologize for. But I do have something to ask of you…and you can say no, but we have a tradition of going to church on Christmas day. We like to thank God for everything we've been blessed with. It'd only be about an hour. Would you come with us?"

I cringed. "I don't know. I'm…not really a church person. I don't know what to do, and the most I know about Christianity and God is from watching Dogma and Supernatural. I wouldn't want the walls to bleed by my blasphemous presence."

"That's nonsense. We'd be very honored if you'd join us in our pew, and then we'll come back and open presents. I know my son will be on his best behavior and give you time and space, if that's what you're worried about."

I bit my lip. "I do worry about having to face him. I fear he might expect an answer that I'm not ready to give."

"Well, then I'll protect you and give you asylum until you're ready."

Esme walked me downstairs, where breakfast was laid out. I looked around the room and felt relief that Edward wasn't there. I was so worried about what I would say when I faced him.

Alice and Jasper were there, however, and I saw Alice pipe up, as I walked into the room.

"Bella has agreed to join us for Christmas services today," Esme announced, cutting Alice off from whatever she had planned on saying.

I took my seat and picked a few items from the spread to place on my plate. I had just picked up my fork, when Edward walked in. He stopped in his tracks upon seeing me. I could see him in my periphery, but I couldn't look in his direction. He slowly took a seat next to me.

"Bella…"

"Bella has agreed to accompany us to services. I think we can all use the time of peace and quiet for reflection. Don't you agree, Edward?" Esme asked, interrupting Edward's cause.

He turned away and looked back at his plate, while I picked at the food on my own. I felt bad, because it was the very best holiday of the year, and it was being brought down by mine and Edward's issues.

We were supposed to exchange gifts later. Well, Edward giving me his card to go out and buy gifts a week ago was what I had to exchange. I didn't really bring the Cullen's anything from myself. But with the way this day was going, I thought it would be wise to have an Uber waiting to take me back to Seattle when we returned from church. I didn't want the Cullen's holidays to be completely ruined. They deserved to have the very best of holidays, and that wouldn't be achieved as long as this cloud hung overhead.

I chose to ride with Esme and Carlisle. Edward forwent his fancy car to join us. I did notice that Seth and Leah were nowhere in sight. I wondered about that, but I didn't want to ask.

We arrived at a beautiful, tall stone church with stained glass windows. It nearly looked like it belonged in Medieval times. Edward shuffled two paces behind me, as we walked into the impressive building. Alice and Jasper slid into the pew first, and then Esme and Carlisle entered, leaving Edward and me to take the end.

I knew the cliff notes version of the Bible. I mean, I knew the key players and basic stories, but as I said, I hadn't really gone to church before. Every idea of church came from watching movies and television, which probably didn't give an accurate account.

The priest or…bishop? Pastor? Cardinal? Whatever he was, he came out and told the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. He spoke on the gifts that the wisemen had brought, gold…Frankenstein…frank 'n...beans? Damn! What was it? Whatever.

Anyway, he talked about the gifts the three wise dudes brought, but then he went on to speak about the gifts that Jesus gave. I felt Edward's eyes trained on me, even though he thought he was being slick by not looking directly at me.

And like God knew I would be live and in person in His house, it was like the priest…man of God, chose his message for me personally.

"For with the birth of Christ came many gifts that He would bestow throughout His life, and ultimately, with His death and resurrection…the gift of love. Compassion and forgiveness. Forgiveness, which is something I believe we all must struggle with. So, I leave you with this, this Christmas season. Ephesians 4:31-32. ' _Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.'_ "

I didn't hear much after that. I just sat in that pew, feeling pain from the verse. The man could have said that he didn't buy into any of this forgiveness crap, and I would never have known. That was how tuned out I was, thinking of my own problems. I felt my heart racing, and my face heated, as I struggled to keep my sanity in check.

Everyone was standing to sing some song that every person magically seemed to know automatically. I stepped over Edward, eager to get out of there, before I said or did something to embarrass Esme and Carlisle, so they might never return to their own church.

The cold air hit me square in the face, and I welcomed its calming powers.

"Bella," Edward called out to me.

I stood in the beautiful square courtyard, yearning for a few quiet moments to myself, but Edward was here, and it didn't look like it would be possible.

"Goddamn you, Edward Cullen!" I whirled around and lashed out.

Okay, if there was ever a time for God to smite me, now would have been it. Edward stopped in place and held up his hands.

"I don't know what to do," I began crying. "I'm so angry with you. How could you do this to me? How could you not tell me? There were so many times when you could've said something. I know, because I thought back through all of them last night. I would've been upset, but I would've forgiven you. To find out from someone so despicable as those assholes...for them to tell me…to try and use me against you. How can I forgive you now?"

Edward deflated and sat down on a bench nearby to run his hands through his hair, as he looked down in shame.

"I don't know, Bella," he whispered in defeat.

I saw his body hunch over, and I was so angry that my skin felt as if it was on fire, but seeing him there, so broken, it broke my heart. Even though I couldn't see his face, I saw tears falling towards the ground, to land by his polished, perfect shoes.

I walked a couple of paces towards him. I felt as if God was watching, while I stood here in His courtyard. He amplified the message I had just heard, pushing me towards Edward. I played Esme's words back in my head, telling me to not say the words until I meant them. I should give Edward some honesty, even if he had been so delinquent with his own.

I stopped next to his shoe and reached into my pocket and pulled out the thumb drive. I handed it to him, and he reached up to take it, his face full of confusion and fresh tears.

"I didn't look at it. I don't want to know. I have to believe in the man I've come to know, and not one who might ruin that image if I were to open this. But you have to give me time. I can't give you forgiveness until I can mean it."

I saw relief wash over his body. He stood up, and with unsteady hands, he took mine and slowly pulled me in to leave a gentle kiss upon my forehead.

I didn't know how I would ever forgive Edward. How much time would need to pass, before I could trust that he wouldn't do something to me without my knowledge. I hadn't looked at the thumb drive because, when it came down to it, the fact that the Rose brothers had given it to me made me believe that, whatever was on it, it might have been tampered with. What if their agenda was to put false information damning Edward in my eyes? I couldn't place faith in a terrorist organization and not have the tiniest trust in Edward.

I guessed their plan had failed. I didn't leave Edward. I didn't betray him for their cause. Everything the Rose brothers tried had failed. I guessed it only made sense to up the stakes. There really should be rules in war. I would be more than happy to make the ultimate sacrifice. I was ready to make the ultimate sacrifice, if it meant saving the man I loved and the baby he had gone to rescue.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing. I'm so sad to see this story is coming to an end. Thank you for being a part of this journey. I'll truly miss these characters.**

 **THANK YOU TO DOLLYBIGMOMMA FOR EDITING.**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	29. Chapter 29

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

Christmas day was a very low-key affair. The kind of affair I had hoped for and wanted. However, it was mostly due to mine and Edward's issues. I tried to ask Edward if I could return to Seattle and leave him to spend the holiday with his family, but he said that, if I went, he would go, too. He wasn't about to leave me without protection.

Oh…that was right. He had fired the Clearwater's in a fit of rage for allowing the brothers Rose to come into contact with me. They had failed their duties. I felt a little bad for them, but I wasn't exactly going to miss their constant presence. I knew it would only be a matter of time before Edward hired new security, so I would appreciate the freedom while I could.

However, once we returned to Seattle, Edward had a very different idea of freedom.

"I know you're still upset with me. That's fine. I can wait, but I need you to follow strict procedures, until I can find worthy replacements for the Clearwater's. First, don't leave this building under any circumstance without me. Don't even go to the lobby alone."

I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"I mean it, Bella. The Rose brothers have proven how easily they can infiltrate our organization. I'll put extra security on the building, and Emmett is looking into personal security we can trust. But these people are not going to stop, and with every failed move on their part, they'll get more desperate, which will lead to terrifying consequences."

"May I be excused now?"

I knew my attitude was snotty, but I was still feeling pretty raw and pissed from all the events that had transpired over Christmas. New Year's was fast approaching, and I certainly did not foresee us ringing in the New Year with a celebratory bang as I had once dreamed of.

Edward sighed and sat back down in his highbacked leather office chair.

"Please, leave the door open on your way out."

I turned on my heel and went toward the door, pulling it back to stand open. Edward never left his office door open. I was sure he was only doing it now, so he could keep an eye on me. However, Angela's desk was facing the door, so it wasn't like he could actually keep an eye on me. Thank god! I was free to roll my eyes at him in private.

I sauntered over to my chair and flopped down in my seat, waking my computer up from hibernation.

"Good morning, Bella," Angela announced. She walked to me from the elevators, leading someone new.

"This is Gianna. The third assistant. We just got done with HR, and I'm about to show her the ropes."

The third assistant, because me being the second assistant was just another way Edward could control me. I shook my head, not thinking of how my greeting was coming off to the new fish.

"I'm sorry. I'm having an off day. Very nice to meet you."

Gianna looked like Jessica 2.0. I felt a twinge of guilt for looking down on her, when she was the obvious choice for an assistant. The kind of person who knew how to do the job asked would look like they came off a designer train. The only reason I looked the part was because Edward saw to my current wardrobe needs.

Angela began to give Gianna the tour, while I sat at my desk and twiddled my thumbs, waiting for something to do. It was embarrassing how little I did, and yet, the paychecks still rolled in. It made me nauseated just thinking about it.

Finally, my prayers were answered. The phone rang. Great way to earn that five grand Edward paid me a month.

"Edward Cullen's office, Bella speaking."

"Hello, this is Mary from the daycare. Is Angela there?"

"Angie, it's the daycare," I called out, raising the phone in the air to get her attention. Angela stopped her tour and leaned over her desk to answer the phone. I could tell she was worried about what they were saying.

"Bella, do you mind staying with Gianna? Ben has a fever, and I have to go down and check him out. He can't come back until he's been fever free for twenty-four hours."

I jumped up from my chair. "I'm not doing anything. I'll go," I offered.

"Are you sure?" she asked worriedly.

"No problem. I'll be back in a jiffy. I can look after him today. You see how much work I have to do," I replied sarcastically, gesturing to my empty desk.

"Thank you, Bella. I owe you."

I was happy for the distraction. I felt relief surge through me the farther I got from seventy-seven. What I wouldn't do to be able to put Ben in a stroller and take a walk out in the fresh air. I knew that would never happen. Knowing Edward, he would have given my picture to every security guard to lock me down if I should go anywhere near the lobby. Plus, with crazy maniacs out to get me, it wouldn't be right to put Ben in the middle of that.

It was the first time I had been down to the daycare, since I had visited the first week of operations. I felt this enormous sense of accomplishment, watching the children run around having fun. To be honest, I didn't know if I had ever been prouder of myself than in that moment. To see my hard work and persistence paying off rocked.

"Bella? Coming to check in on us?" Carmen asked.

She was who I had helped choose to run the daycare.

"No, I'm here to pick up Ben for Angela. He's running a fever."

She nodded and went over to her phone to dial the nursery. I looked through the glass to see them announcing naptime for the two to three-year-old class. The teacher helped pull down the mats and set up blankets. For a small moment, I was able to picture a possible future. A little brown-haired boy toddling toward his mat, while his father ran the company and his mother…sat at her desk answering the phone.

With the way we were going, that brown-haired boy was a dream that might never be realized.

"Here he is," Carmen sang.

I looked over at a different brown-haired boy. Baby Ben. I smiled and took Ben out of Carmen's hands and pulled the diaper bag onto my shoulder.

"Hey, buddy. You're not feeling well?" I asked, as I investigated that scrumptious face. I pulled him to me and could feel his hot little head.

"He's probably just teething, but we have to be safe, and there are rules for a reason," Carmen said.

"Thank you," I replied, taking Ben towards the elevator.

I felt myself swaying side to side with Ben in my arms, as it took nearly forever and a day to get back up to seventy-seven. When the elevator doors opened, I could hear Edward yelling.

"You call security right now and make sure they get to eleven and have Bella escorted back up here immediately!"

"Geez, what's with the screaming? I have a baby here."

I saw Angela standing behind her desk, nearly trembling, while my "boyfriend" screamed at her. Gianna was shrinking into her cube, probably rethinking her latest career endeavor. Angela placed the phone back down on the receiver and walked to take Ben out of my arms.

"What the hell are you yelling about?" I barked.

Edward relaxed visibly and stood straighter. "Bella, let's take this into my office."

I huffed in frustration and marched my little booty straight into his office, ready to give as good as he gave. Edward walked in and closed the door behind him.

"What is your malfunction? You don't need to yell at the staff for shit going on between us."

"Why did you leave? I asked you to stay here. You didn't even give me a heads up. I just spoke with you about this not even an hour ago," he replied.

"Edward, I went to the eleventh floor. I didn't head to Azkaban. You said I couldn't go outside or to the lobby. The eleventh floor is still ten floors above the lobby, so what part of your rules did I violate, exactly?"

"Until we have proper security, I need you to be safe, and I can't protect you when you're on the eleventh floor. You have no idea what these people could do to you. The least common courtesy would be to let me know. Give me the chance to escort you."

"Proper security," I huffed. "Don't you mean proper babysitters? People to watch my every move and make sure I don't shit twice a day without your knowledge?"

I kicked the foot of his desk, trying to find a way to take out my frustrations, without kicking something…someone else.

"Are you being difficult because you're still upset with me or because you just want to be difficult?"

"I don't know," I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in the air. "Does it matter? Look, I won't go anywhere without your permission again. I won't take off to the breakroom for a bagel without breaking into your office and announcing my stomach pains. I won't piss unless you have a chance to change my mind and convince me to go upstairs, so I can do it in your pervy toilet. Okay?"

Edward rubbed his forehead with his hand. He was so pissed off, but he knew he couldn't say more without incurring my wrath.

"I'll take Ben up to the apartment and spend my day there. That way, you know I won't go anywhere without your knowledge. Okay?"

"I'll just send Angela home," he dismissed.

"No, she needs the money, and it's a farce of a job I'm doing, anyway."

"What do you mean?" he asked, perking his interest back up.

I sighed and sat down in a chair by his desk. "Edward…come on. This is ridiculous. Me…in this job. You only did it to get me where you want me. I now know more than ever that I never should've been your assistant. It was all just a lie. Before, I could chalk it up to something else, but now, we both know that every step you took or direction you went in was to get me to come work for you, so you could…seduce me."

"I don't like that word. It sounds cheap. I merely wished for your company and companionship. It was never about the sex for me. I wanted more than just sex. In fact, if you required it, I'd never touch you again if it meant you could be mine."

I never knew what to think when he would say things like this. I didn't know what I was about to do, until the words came out of my mouth.

"I quit, Edward."

I saw his eyes widen. I think I nearly stopped his heart, from the worry upon his face. He was instantly at my side.

"Please, Bella. Just give me a chance. I promise I'll spend the rest of my life making this up to you," he begged.

I shook my head. "No, I didn't mean that I quit us. I mean…I don't want to be your assistant anymore. I'm unhappy. I need to find a job that won't make me constantly feel like a leech. You're paying me to do a job that I can't do. I feel cheap taking money from you."

His body sagged, defeatedly.

"I don't want you leaving me."

"Having a different job doesn't mean that we can't be together. In fact, I've been thinking. You want me to trust you. To forgive you for grossly infringing upon my privacy. The more I think about it, the more I realize you don't trust me. That's why you constantly wanted me followed, even after our relationship began. If I go and find a job…not under you, it'll take a lot of trust on both our parts. If we want this relationship to work, we have to start there."

He rubbed his palms together, attempting to calm the anxiety.

"Would you at the very least do me the kindness of waiting until this mess is over? I can't think of you out there while these assholes are still lurking."

I nodded my head slowly. "Okay."

"Thank you," he replied.

"Just…we don't know how long this is going to take. I don't want to wait the rest of my life, sitting like a caged bird in your penthouse."

There was a loud knock on the door, and we both turned our heads.

"Come in," Edward barked.

I reached out to grab his hand to calm him down. He didn't need to take my news out on the staff, who would be left here to pick up the pieces when I was finally gone.

Angela walked in. "Bella, do you have Ben?"

"No, I thought he was with you?"

I saw the blood drain from Angela's face, as she began to worry, and I jumped up from my chair.

"I put him down in the bassinet by my desk, but a call came in, asking me to receive a fax, so I went to the copy room, and I thought…I thought…"

I ran out past her and headed towards her desk. Edward was right behind me. I spun around, when I saw that baby Ben really was not where she had left him.

"Where's Gianna?" I asked.

"I don't know," she replied shakily.

"Gianna!" Edward barked. "Gianna!"

He frantically rushed around the floor, looking for any sign of them.

"Call security!"

I ran over to my desk and called down to security, but by the time they answered, Edward pulled the phone out of my hands.

"This is Edward Cullen. Lockdown the building, now! Pull up Gianna Lazarelli's file and locate her whereabouts. Do not let anyone leave, especially if they're carrying a baby boy. Contact the police immediately. I want this building searched."

I pulled Angela into my arms, holding her as she broke down. I had nothing to say to her, because I knew I was the reason for her pain. Edward had warned of escalating consequences. I'd never thought these assholes would stoop so low as to take a baby.

It took only half an hour for them to locate on video surveillance the moment Gianna had left The Cullen Conglomerate building, carrying a small bundle in her arms. Angela sat in Edward's office, sobbing while she tried to tell the cops everything she could remember about her son and Gianna.

The cops would think it was a random kidnapping, but Edward and I knew better. I wanted to run from the room and throw up in the nearest wastebasket, but I held it in. Edward eventually had Angela escorted home and paid for a private security company to keep tabs on her building.

The minute we were finally alone, I found Edward's wastebasket and promptly threw up everything in my stomach. Edward rushed to be by my side and rubbed my back until I was finished.

"What are we going to do?" I asked through tears.

"We have to go back to my house. I know you don't want to go there, but I can't meet Jacob here. It isn't safe. We need to speak to Jacob. We'll figure out what our next step will be. I'll get Angela's baby back. I swear it."

I fell asleep on the ride to Edward's house. As much as I wanted to continue crying for our precarious situation, my body couldn't handle anything further. Edward woke me when we arrived, and like a zombie, I followed him in and took a seat in his entry room, not wanting to go further.

"Jacob should be here soon."

"Are you going to have a problem if I pummel your friend?" I snapped, hitting my fist into my palm.

"Be calm, Bella. We don't know the circumstances. I doubt if Jacob knew anything about the kidnapping. He would've found some way to reach out to me, so we could've circumvented it. Just wait for him to explain."

I huffed and folded my arms over my chest, while we waited for the amazing Jacob. Insert eye roll. I did not relish having to see that man again. My blood began to boil at the very thought.

Jacob finally had the decency to arrive and not keep Edward and I in this awkward silence. I didn't know how many times I looked around the entry room and mentally calculated how much everything must have cost Edward.

"Sorry I took so long. It's crazy."

"What the fuck happened? Did you know what they were planning to do?" Edward started, before I could ask what the fuck. So much for calm, like he so desired from me.

"No, of course not. But…they don't tell me everything. They spread out the information, so they don't compromise themselves, just in case someone is working against them. I didn't find out about the baby until it was delivered at the warehouse."

"You've seen the baby? Is he okay? What warehouse? Where is he?" my questions fired off rapidly.

"He's fine. They won't hurt him, because they're using him as bait. They have him at an abandoned meat packing facility over on Seventh in the Industrial District. They want you," Jacob replied, looking to Edward. "They're through messing with your assistants and trying to find any information on your virus. They want you to meet them there tonight, or they'll kill the baby. You'll be receiving a message shortly with instructions."

"You can't go," I said, jumping up from my chair. "You'll never come back."

Edward stiffened and closed his eyes. "I have no choice. This will never be over until I make their acquaintance. The least I can do is try and get baby Ben back. Jacob, I'll pay you what you're owed, but your mission is done. It's too dangerous for you to go back."

"Edward, are you out of your mind? You can't go. Let me go!" I stated adamantly.

"No! You won't go anywhere near them ever again. And if you step even one foot in that direction, I'll kill you myself!"

"It doesn't make any damn sense for you to go. You're too valuable!" my voice rose along with his.

"Bella, you listen to me right now," he said, grabbing ahold of my shoulders, gripping them tightly. "I'm not messing around with you. I'll not fight with you on this. You'll stay here, far away from what'll happen tonight. This is not a request. It's an order. Hate me if you need to, but I swear on all that's holy, if I get one whiff of you planning to get near these guys, I'll chain you down in the basement. This is my battle to fight. Not yours. It never was. Let me clean up my own mess."

I shrugged off his grip. "Let go of me! You don't get to tell me what to do. The world doesn't need Isabella Swan...accomplished nobody, but the world needs Edward Cullen. You have the ability to possibly cure cancer. You, who are great…I'm nothing. Let me find a way…"

"NO! Goddammit!" he yelled. "What the hell is the matter with you? Don't you realize that…you're not nothing!"

He choked up, but he did everything he could to keep it in.

"Bella," he said softly, "I love you, and I know that, if something happens to you, there'll be no way for me to go on. I refuse to live in a world without you. I love you. But you…you don't…love me. You still have a chance. You have the ability to go on after this is over and be anything you want to be. More importantly, you can find someone to love. I love you, and so, this is my sacrifice to make."

I shook my head slowly, unable to answer. I couldn't keep my tears at bay.

"I have to make some arrangements, and then I'll go. If you don't hear from me, or if I'm not back here by midnight, I'm counting on you to destroy the sample. Will you do that for me?" he asked.

I nodded my head slowly. I tried to think about the future, and nothing was there anymore. There was no way Edward would come back from this alive. I was sure they would try to torture it out of him, and when they learned that he wouldn't give it up, they would kill him.

Edward left to head towards his study. I sat back slowly in my chair.

"I'm really sorry about all this," Jacob apologized.

I shook my head, slowly placing it in my hands, as I focused on the floor.

"I heard your dad was Billy," I finally said, making some conversation.

"Yeah…did you know him?"

I nodded. "He…helped me when I was at my lowest. He saved my life."

"That sounds like him," Jacob acknowledged.

"So…I guess this means you'll be heading off to some beach now for bikini babes and coconut drinks."

Jacob rubbed his neck with his hand. "I don't know. Could be crappy weather this time of year. I was thinking of doing something stupid."

I looked up at him for the first time.

"Yeah, as much as Edward thinks he can handle this on his own, I should probably be there to back him up. Even if we go out in a blaze of glory, at least I did so with honor."

I nearly laughed. "You're stupid."

Jacob did laugh. "Hey, I said I was _doing_ something stupid. Not that I _was_ stupid. Get it straight, princess."

I wanted to retaliate for the comment, but I didn't. My mind was already working on "Plan B" now.

"He loves you. I don't know why, since you two seem about as opposite as opposite can go before coming back around again. But…I guess I can see why. You're loyal. You place all above you, and I don't think it's because you believe that you're not worthy. You do so because your love is fierce."

"That's funny. Edward doesn't think so. He doesn't think I love him, because I can't bring myself to say it. I guess when it comes down to it, I know that, if I said it, destiny is listening, and destiny will take him, too."

But destiny would know my heart, so it would try whatever it could to see to my unhappiness. Edward was mere hours away from possible execution, and I'd be damned if I would sit by and allow that to happen.

"I like the way you think. What you said before. Any chance I could persuade you into doing something stupid…for me?" I asked.

Jacob's interest was piqued.

I didn't know what took longer. For me to convince Jacob to back my plan, or for Edward to get me off him when he went to leave. I used the tightest grip I could, but he still was able to pry me from his body. Once again, he made me promise I would destroy the sample. I would keep my promise. My plan was to definitely destroy the sample. One way or another.

After he and Jacob left, I went upstairs and headed for the Pollock. I pulled the ugly painting from off the wall and tossed it onto the bed. Lit up in all its deadly glory was the panel. I only had one shot at this. I took a deep breath and thought long and hard. Edward would have chosen a passcode of significance. The date we met. March 3rd, 2008. Knowing Edward, he would put the date in its entirety. I took a slow breath and, feeling as if my heart would pound through my eardrums, I tapped in the first number.

Zero.

Then the next.

Three.

I only had one chance.

Zero.

Hit one wrong button and it would all be over.

Three.

I had no other backup plan.

Two.

Only one of us would die tonight.

Zero.

Somehow, I had convinced Jacob that it should be me.

Zero.

Edward was wrong.

Eight.

It was I who couldn't live in a world without him.

Enter.

* * *

 **AN: As I finished the final chapter, I felt a great sense of accomplishment and yet incredible sorrow. I have loved writing for this particular pair since the beginning. I will miss them! Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

 **THANK YOU TO DOLLYBIGMOMMA FOR EDITING.**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	30. Chapter 30

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

To say I was a bit disappointed when the tiny door opened would have been an understatement. Don't get me wrong. I was giddy that I had been right in my assessment that Edward would choose that exact combination for his vial of death, but I half expected a glowing light with angels singing, like what happened in the movies.

There was a small light to illuminate the vial with the red serum. I felt my hands tremble, as I reached out to pull it off its stand. Holding it in my hand was the scariest thing I had ever done. Knowing that, in one moment of clumsiness, I could wipe out my very existence and ruin any chance to save Edward or baby Ben.

I went into the bathroom and placed the vial down on a white monogrammed towel and then rushed out to get dressed. It was surreal to go through my closet and pick out the last thing I would ever wear. I tried not to put too much thought into it, but somehow, knowing that you were about to die did put things into a weird perspective. Jeans and a tank top it was.

I quickly settled on a tight bun for my hair. With the amount of hair I had, it would be easy for this part of my plan. My eyes kept looking down at the killer virus, as if at any moment, some mischievous poltergeist would throw it to the hard tile floor in hopes of gaining a playmate.

It seemed curious that this glass vial could contain such a potent liquid inside. Usually, these kinds of things would be kept in steel canisters. But knowing Edward, who thought of everything and invented everything, glass apparently did the trick. Perhaps he kept it in glass, knowing that, if he ever needed to destroy it quickly, it would be easily accomplished in his booby-trapped storage facility behind the Pollock.

I looked around for something to contain the vial, until I was ready to place it in its final hiding place. I saw a scarf of mine and decide to wrap that sucker up, being extra careful. Next was finding the exact location of the warehouse. Jacob had said it was an abandon meat packing facility on Seventh. Thank god Edward had had the good sense to replace my phone after the toilet porn incident.

I tapped away and found the directions were easy enough to follow. I knew I would have to borrow one of Edward's cars for this mission to be a success. Not exactly like I could order an Uber to take me there. Knowing these assholes, they would have armed guards walking the premises, and it wasn't like any Uber driver wouldn't tip off the cops upon seeing that kind of criminal presence.

I went toward the garage and noticed something curious about the storage container to the left of the door, where Edward kept all his keys for his many cars in the garage. I opened it to find nothing inside.

"Asshole!"

He had hidden the keys from me. Asshole didn't trust me!

I huffed and nearly threw down my scarf in a moment of lapsed judgment, but thankfully, I remembered what was inside and stopped myself. Now, I would have no choice but to take an Uber. With this newfound setback, I would have to be sure they dropped me off a few blocks away and hoof it on foot.

It took far too long for the Uber to come and find Edward's house. I imagined all the things that must have been going on in that warehouse. I doubted Edward would have gotten there by now. He would probably just be arriving. I wondered what kind of a plan he had. Go in and respectfully request they hand over the baby in exchange for his life? That wouldn't make any sense. They would have no cause to follow through. What was Jacob going to do during all of this? Would he try and play both sides? Act like he had apprehended Edward and was bringing him in?

I think my Uber driver knew I didn't want to talk. He had asked me why I was going to that area this time of night. I told him I was having an affair, and my man was a blue-collar meat slinger, meeting me after hours, so we could fuck on the conveyer belt. I didn't know if he believed me or was plain scared of me from his silence.

As we grew closer to our destination, my heart felt as if it were in my throat. I felt horribly nauseated. Dear god, I guessed it was a good thing I wouldn't have that baby with Edward after all. There was no way I could handle months on end of this feeling. I should have eaten a Snickers before I came. Sugar had the ability to calm the nerves, right?

"Okay…here we are. Good luck on your…date," the driver said.

"Thanks," I muttered, reaching for the handle.

I could see why he felt uneasy about bringing me to this part of town at this time of night. It felt like a ghost town. I didn't see a person around, when I looked up and down the street. I began my walk, hoping I wouldn't run into anyone unseemly. Well…other than the unseemly people I was meant to run into.

Nearing the facility, I slowed my walk and began to hide behind a building, as I looked upon my final destination. _Final Destination_. I hated those movies. I shook my head of nonsense and focused. I pulled the scarf open and took the vial out to hide it on my person. I placed my hand over my mouth to hold down the bile that threatened to run loose. I was resolved. _This might be your final moments, don't ruin them with vomit, Bella._

I pulled out my phone and dialed emergency. When I heard a person on the other end, I took a minute before saying, "The baby who was kidnapped at The Cullen Conglomerate building today is here and needs your help. I suggest backup."

"Where is here?" the operator asked.

I set the phone down on the ground, hoping all those television shows were true, and that they could pinpoint my location. Hopefully, there would be enough time to get in and do what I came here to do.

With one last breath, I stepped out from behind my hiding place and boldly walked towards the front of the abandoned warehouse. I saw a couple of guards standing near the entrance. They didn't seem to have guns, but I was not stupid. I knew they would.

"I think someone is a little lost," one of them smirked, while the other leered.

"I'm not lost," I replied boldly. "I have an appointment."

The men looked at one another and then turned their gaze back on me. Immediately, they pulled their guns out, like they were secretly happy I had come along and given them the opportunity to whip out their dicks.

"Look, I'm sure Marcus Rose and his brother would love to meet with me. I'm Isabella Swan, and I have what they want. So, why don't you be a good little lapdog and run along and tell them I'm here, so that I may pass, and we can all return back to our humdrum lives."

One looked to the other and gave the nod.

I sighed and crossed my arms, attempting to look as bored as possible. They didn't need to know that I had just secretly shat my pants.

"Let her in," the one guy announced to his comrade.

I set to walk past, but when I reached the man who would take me inside, he pulled me roughly over and began to paw me up and down, getting mighty frisky with my breasts.

 _Sorry, pal, those are real and have nothing you're looking for._

"Do you mind?" I snapped.

"Where is it?" he barked.

"Like I'm going to tell you that. Take me to the Rose brothers!" I ordered.

He aimed his gun for me to walk in front of him. We went through a small door, and inside, everything was dark and foreboding. I could hear our steps echoing throughout the abandoned building, as I surveyed everything around me. We headed off towards this smaller door, and I could hear voices up ahead.

It appeared to be a large freezer that had been out of commission and was no longer cold inside. Six men dressed in their fancy-ass suits stood around, waiting for my arrival. Jacob was one of the six. That was good. He was keeping up the ruse.

Baby Ben was in some kind of crate off to the side, hopefully just asleep, since I didn't hear him making a sound.

Edward sat in a chair. His face was dark and menacing at the sight of me. I had to admit, I was quite turned on. Even though we had been through so much of late, I felt my lower bits tingling, and I wanted nothing more than to survive this little complication for just one last welcome home, last hurrah, make-up, lovemaking mission. That was right. I said it. Well…mentally, anyway.

Oh, that was right. We were all caught up now.

"Isabella Swan. The constantly misbehaved thorn in our side. I hear you've finally come to see our side of things."

I rolled my eyes. "I never looked at the thumb drive. Figured you'd try to make shit up to get me to come to your side," I replied.

"You see, Aro, she's one feisty kitty I've had the pleasure of dealing with. Perhaps you can work your ways and make her purr," Marcus said to his brother.

I visibly shuddered.

"Look, I might've come here knowing I was going to die. You don't need to make me want to commit suicide with your disgusting words. Are we going to make a deal or not?"

Aro walked a little closer to appraise me, while I stood my ground firmly.

"You're smarter than I think my brother gave you credit for. You're right. I wasn't completely truthful with the information I gave to you. However, I do have to say that, what I did find on Edward's computer was disturbing, to say the least. The amount of money he wasted on having you followed, I can't imagine any person being happy with that knowledge. I guess if you wanted to believe it was some kind of fucked-up sense of love, that'd be honorable, knowing how much he shelled out to keep your father alive by paying off his gambling debts, multiple times, or the many wasted flowers he had sent to your mother's grave."

I felt myself tear up slightly at his words. I couldn't help but look over towards Edward, who seemed crossed between anger and pain.

"The man did care for you, and yet…here you are. What do you have for me, and what will it cost me?"

I swallowed hard. "You let Edward go with the baby, and I'll give you what you seek."

Marcus and Aro shared a smile between them.

"And how can we trust you? How do we know you aren't lying through your teeth?" Marcus asked.

I looked over to Edward. "You told me there was only one combination to your safe. I only had one chance to press in the right number, or else the vial would be destroyed. You didn't think I'd ever know that you'd choose something so sentimental, but I figured it out, and I have it. I put it in a secure location, right across the street. Hidden and unable for you to ever find it, if I don't tell you where to look. The combination to your safe was zero-three-zero-three-two-thousand and eight."

"BELLA, NO!" Edward yelled, when he realized I was speaking the truth. "Don't do it! They'll kill you. They'll kill thousands of people if you give it to them. Don't do it!"

Marcus and Aro seemed satisfied by the reaction from Edward. I tried to tune him out, as I looked back to the pair.

"The baby and Edward for you and the vial?" Aro agreed.

"That's right," I replied.

"NO!" Edward jumped up from his chair. The men moved forward at once to restrain him. The asshole who had accosted me in the sex shop was one of them.

"You want money? I have it. I'll sign over my multibillion-dollar company to you. Leave Bella alone!"

"You don't want to do that," I argued. "Edward could stall or do whatever he can to keep his business, including contacting the authorities to see you thrown in prison. Just take my deal, and you could be on a plane with what you want tonight."

I wanted to smack Edward. He was going to fuck up my plan. If they took his deal, we might never be rid of these guys. Hell, they could take his business _and_ decide to tie up loose ends. At least my plan would leave him safe.

"Bella!" Edward barked.

"Think about it. Take what you want. Do with me whatever you want and be gone already, or possibly wait forever to see if Edward makes good on his side, which could compromise your place here."

"Bella, what are you doing?" Edward nearly cried.

I looked over to him and saw he was crushed. I wanted to cry, too, but I had to remain strong.

I held back my tears and took a small breath. "I guess I love you more after all."

Edward crumpled before my eyes. My last words to him would be honest ones. He had said he couldn't live in a world without me, but I was a coward through and through. I couldn't live in a world without him. I would rather die than try to go on and live a happy life as Edward had requested.

Marcus and Aro seemed to enjoy the show we were putting on for them. Aro stepped forward and reached out to touch my face. I sneered and attempted to pull back.

"Such a waste. You truly are a beauty. I can see why Edward loves you. But…you've chosen to surrender your life for his. It's touching."

"Are we going to fucking do this, or are you planning on killing me with boorish speeches?"

Aro looked over to his brother and shared a silent conversation before turning to Jacob.

"Jacob, take the baby to Mr. Cullen. Mr. Cullen…you're free to leave."

"Like hell, I will!" Edward spat.

"Edward, take the baby! You said you'd save the baby. I need you to take Ben out of here. GO!" I ordered.

Jacob had picked up the baby and handed him off to Edward. I could tell he was sharing a look.

"Demetri, please, escort Mr. Cullen out of the building," Marcus said.

Crap! I had hoped Jacob would volunteer.

"Perhaps I should go with to ensure his cooperation," Jacob said, reading my mind.

"No, Demetri can handle it."

Edward nearly had to be dragged out of the small, abandoned refrigeration room. I stood there watching, as the very last sight I had would be of him crying out in pain, screaming my name. I shook my head to dismiss the tears and placed all my focus back on the men in front of me.

"We've made good on our deal. Now, Miss Swan, it's your turn," Aro said.

"I'd like to wait until your other man is back here to ensure that Edward is out of the building," I said, stalling.

"I'll not ask again! Give us the virus, you wretched girl!" Marcus spat.

I sighed and looked back slightly to Jacob. He was nearest to the door. I had hoped he would know what to do, when I played my final card.

"I'm sorry, but I think I need to clarify something. Ninety-nine percent of the time, in any movie or television show I've ever watched, the bad guys never win. You're the bad guys. I just thought I should make you aware of that."

I reached up into my bun and pulled out the cause for all this turmoil.

"I'll see you in hell!" I spat, throwing it at the ground mere inches away from the Rose brothers' feet. I turned around to shove Jacob out the door, but he grabbed ahold of my arm, and with great strength, he swung me around and threw me through the small opening.

Before I could even grasp what he was doing, Jacob reached for the door and slammed it shut from the inside, damning his survival and locking himself inside with the terrorists. I sat on the floor from where I'd fallen, feeling myself tremble, while hearing their loud pounding coming through the door. Edward reappeared beside me and rushed to the door, pulling the latch to secure it in place.

I could hear their screams begin, as I was sure Edward's virus was making its way through their systems.

"Come on, Bella. We have to get out of here," Edward said, attempting to pull me to my feet.

"Why? Could we be in danger out here?"

"No, the room is airtight, but I don't want you to hear this."

I couldn't believe Jacob would sacrifice himself for me. That had never been never part of my plan.

"You have to promise me something, Edward," I whispered, still staring at the door, hearing the screams intensify from inside. "You have to find that cure. Jacob can't have died for nothing."

Edward pulled me to him, and I broke into a sob, relieved that it was finally over. He walked me out of the building, where the once darkened street was now filled with flashing lights.

"Is Ben okay? What happened to Demetri?" I asked, waking up from the events that had transpired.

"Ben is fine. He's with the paramedics being looked over. Demetri had to give himself up, when he realized he was surrounded. They didn't want me to go back in for you, but I…may have punched an officer in the face and escaped, so they couldn't detain me."

I gasped. "Edward Cullen! How could you? They were right in trying to keep you out of there. Asshole, who took all the keys, as if that'd stop me. Asshole, who almost ruined everything by attempting to offer your business. Asshole, who…"

Edward cut me off by sealing his lips to mine, his tongue working its magic to attempt to make me forget everything.

"I love you, too, Bella."

I pulled him in and gripped tightly around his neck, as I resumed my tears.

"You can't ever do this to me again. You can't ever leave me. I love you. I want to be with you forever, and you have to promise me you'll let me die first, when we're old and crapping ourselves senile, because I just can't, Edward. I can't..."

"Okay," Edward whispered in my ear, increasing his grip on me. "I won't ever leave you. I promise, Bella. No matter what."

I knew we couldn't hide here any longer. We had to go and face the music from the authorities.

"What do you think will happen? Are they going to arrest you? What?" I asked.

"No. I'll work with them and be sure to include a handsome donation to ensure my freedom. It'll be a long and tedious process of explaining everything from the beginning, but we'll be okay."

The police wanted to question Edward and me. They attempted to take us from one another, but Edward made light threats of lawyers being involved, so they let us stay together until the Feds arrived. I knew the FBI would be a whole different ballgame. Thankfully, they allowed us to return to Edward's building, so I could, at the very least, be kept comfortable, while Edward took them through the entire story, step by step.

I waited upstairs in his penthouse for him. Facing my fears, I walked slowly towards the window to look down upon Seattle, all lit up and looking more beautiful than I had ever witnessed before. My fears of heights seemed silly to me now, after the night I'd had. I should have been dead right now. If it wasn't for Jacob, I would have been.

I left the window shades open. Something I had never done before, as I had requested Edward to close them, since my stomach couldn't handle the heights, but apparently now, it could. I laid down on the bed and fell fast asleep.

Edward came in early the next morning, after being kept up all night by questioning. I felt his weight on the bed, which woke me from a dreamless sleep.

"Hey, beautiful," Edward said, gently stroking my face.

"Everything…okay?"

I felt bad asking that, since what had happened to Jacob. Everything was not okay. Sure, Ben was safe, and I was sure he was back with Angela by now. The assholes were either apprehended or dead. For the first time in months, I could possibly breathe easier, if it weren't for one thing.

"Everything is fine, for now."

I nodded, and once again, a stray tear escaped.

"Hey…Bella. As I said, everything will be okay now."

"I know," I sniffled. "But I still feel responsible for Jacob. He was supposed to make it out. He had such simple dreams of white sandy beaches, and now he's dead because of me."

"No. Jacob made a choice. A choice that I'll be forever grateful for, and I'll be sure to think of him every moment that brings me happiness. His sacrifice will not go unrecognized. I know his father would be proud, and today, they'll be reunited."

I laid in Edward's arms, and we focused on being thankful. Edward must have been ready to drop from exhaustion, but never once did he waiver or fall asleep on me.

"Bella…"

I waited to hear what he planned on asking. I knew his voice so well now I could always tell that, when he would say my name like that, it meant he would want to know something.

"…will you make love to me?" he whispered.

I looked up into his eyes.

"For…apparently, the first time since…since before, it didn't count."

I crawled up to reach his face and placed a kiss upon his lips.

"I lied before. But you think the first time we made love was the first night at your parents' house. For me…if I was being honest…it was the second night after you told me of our crossed paths. I've known for quite some time that I loved you. I've been afraid to say it, because stupidly, I thought any person I could love was doomed.

"I'm done being afraid. You want to fly me around the world in your deathtrap plane? I'll ride shotgun. You want a viable vessel? I'm your girl. Do you want to hear me tell you that I love you? I love you! I want to marry you, Edward. I want to be Mrs. Edward Cullen, whatever the hell that means…prenup and all. I'll be loyal to you till our dying days. I know I can be a bit of a handful. Half the time, you must think I'm bat shit crazy…"

Edward was on top of me, ceasing my monologue. His lips held mine hostage, as he pushed himself between my legs. I had to say how impressed I was, since I would never be able to perform on no sleep after the stress we had just endured. I would be no better than a Paris Hilton sex tape. Legs open and just do what you will. Thankfully for me, however, Edward worked well under pressure with no sleep. No wonder he was a billionaire.

"Marry me, Isabella Swan. Marry me today," Edward said the minute he released my lips.

"We can't. Your parents would be hurt if we didn't invite them. Not that I don't love the idea of a small, intimate wedding. It's like you read my mind, but we should at least invite your family. Plus, you have to contact the lawyer. Draw up the proper papers. We'd have to get a license. A decent dress…"

"We don't need a lawyer. I can bribe someone for an immediate license, and I can fly my parents in, while you go and buy a dress."

I didn't reply. I looked at him with my most serious face.

"Edward. I will not marry you without a prenup."

"Don't be stubborn, Bella. I'll not have the woman I love bring legality into the happiest day of my life."

I sighed and looked down. "Then…I can't marry you."

"Bella," he pleaded.

"No. I need that piece of paper for my own piece of mind. To know that you'll never need a reason to wonder about my intentions. If this were not to work out like I said, I can be bat shit crazy, and I'd never want to let my hormones rule how I'd try and take you down."

Edward laughed, which was curious.

"I can handle your hormones. I even have an alarm on my calendar to remind when to tread softly. But I think I can make you change your mind."

Edward worked wonders. For a virgin, I didn't know if it was my teaching expertise that made him so good, or perhaps he was having late night porn watching parties, as to the cause for his brilliant education.

Feeling him inside me. Making love. Everything was right in the world. I would marry this man. He would love me for the rest of my life, and no one would take that away from me.

We settled on a compromise. I agreed to not sign any legal papers except for our marriage license, and in return, we agreed to push the wedding for New Year's Eve. I told Edward I wanted to be married in the very first minutes of the new year. The mistakes we both had made would remain in the past, and with this new marriage beginning the new year, it would only bring good luck on the rest of our lives.

Everything was perfect for our wedding. We had Edward's family, who would finally become my family officially. Our friends. Rosalie flew in from wherever Edward had stashed her, bringing along my new bodyguard. Yep, that was right. Edward decided on who better to watch over me than Emmett. It was a brilliant move on his part. He knew I would most likely listen to Emmett, since he was dating my best friend and Maid of Honor. Of course, Edward was wise to break the news of this on the trip home from our honeymoon.

The honeymoon which would lead to my next adventure. And oh, what a trying nine months to follow that was…

* * *

 **AN: It has been a pleasure and honor to write this story for you. Thank you for all your kind words and dedication. I will miss this duo.**

 **THANK YOU TO DOLLYBIGMOMMA FOR EDITING.**

 **DISCLAIMER: STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**


	31. Chapter 31

**EPILOGUE**

"FUCK ME!"

"Bella, you're doing great. I'm so proud of you, honey."

Viable vessel my ass. Edward didn't want a viable vessel. He wanted a torture chamber to house his heir!

Upon hearing that we were going to have a baby, one of the first things Edward did was to make a substantial investment in a nearby hospital to see that a proper wing was erected to bear witness to the birth of our miracle child. One of the first things, but not _the_ first.

We had just returned from our honeymoon. A month-long trip on a ginormous boat that sailed down to South America. Edward respected my fears of flying, even though I had told him we could go anywhere he wanted to. He knew I would have to fly many times for business trips, so he didn't want to put that pressure on me during one of the most romantic times of our lives.

"I think I'm happy to be on land again," I announced, when he opened the door to his house out in the woods. With the absence of our bioterrorist menace hidden in our walls, I felt safe that we could come back to Edward's space house, on the promise that Edward would never again keep the threat of looming horrible death hidden anywhere on the premises.

"Not so fast, Mrs. Cullen," Edward put out a hand to stop me. "You weren't about to rob me of my duties, now were you?"

Edward reached down and picked me up to carry me over his threshold. My stomach lurched, but I smiled and gave him a kiss, when he sat me back down on my feet.

"I'm pretty sure all your duties, Mr. Cullen, come with a particular uniform or…lack thereof."

"I'm always here to serve, but…I think we should at least wait for tonight. I know we were a little fruitful with our lovemaking last night. I want to give you time...to heal."

I shook my head. "I'm fine now, but I'm so exhausted. Do you mind if I go upstairs and hang out for a while?"

"Of course not. This is your house now, too, you know."

I placed a gentle hand on his cheek, not giving a response. I wasn't going to tell him that, even though we were married, I still didn't feel right in believing the house was also mine, even if, technically, it was now.

I headed upstairs with one goal in mind. It was silly, but I still didn't particularly care to poop near or in front of my husband. While on the ship, I would wait for strategic times to do so. I had been holding in a loaf all morning, and I wanted nothing more than to lock the door and let Calgon take me away, while I enjoyed my private time away from Edward. I knew he would probably head straight to his office first, so he was a perfect distance away.

I felt my body go limp with a job well-done, praise sent south, when I heard feet fast approaching, followed by loud banging on the door.

"What the fuck!" I screamed in shock.

"Bella? Bella!"

I wiped quickly and jumped up, pulling my panties back on, waving my foot to flush the contents away.

"What the hell, Edward! I'm trying to have a moment of peace in here."

"Open the door!" he demanded.

I pulled open the door violently, irritated that I would have to kill my husband so soon into our union.

"WHAT?" I snapped.

Edward, upon seeing me, shifted his eyes down to my stomach, and he slowly fell to his knees, holding onto my midsection. I began to shoo him away.

"What are you doing? You're creeping me out."

"Bella…you're pregnant," he announced, still on his knees.

"I'm what?" I confused emoji-faced him.

"I know you didn't want me monitoring your pee anymore, but I couldn't help but look just now, when the message came over my phone."

He stood up and produced his phone, showing a report upon it with decimal points and numbers.

"I don't know what the hell this says."

I felt my palms begin to sweat. My heart began to race. What if what he said was true? I had only been past the injection efficacy for a month. How could this have happened so fast? How could he have found out before me?

"Go to the store," I ordered.

"What? Why?"

"I want a pregnancy test."

"Bella, my toilets are the best in the world. If they say you're pregnant, then you're pregnant."

"I want a second opinion," I demanded. "Something simple, like blue lines or crosses. Digital ones that read 'pregnant' in plain English. I don't care if I pee all over my hands to achieve these simple results. Go and buy me a pregnancy test!"

Edward thought about it for two seconds before turning to go. He was just at the entryway of our bathroom, when I suddenly stopped him.

"Edward," I called out. He turned around.

"I'm scared," I cried softly.

Edward aborted the mission and came to wrap me in his arms.

It took a few days for me to come down from the information. I went with Edward to the store, not wanting to be left alone, and after chugging down a bottle of Gatorade, I went back to the bathroom and waited until I could urinate on myself to see with my own eyes what Edward already knew. Edward was ecstatic, but he knew he needed to give me a little time to come around.

Back to the current screaming…

"I'm sorry, but you're too far along, and you're dilating quickly. There isn't any time left for an epidural."

"I don't care. This kid is huge! You get me that damn drug, or I'll make sure that my boyfriend…"

"Husband," Edward interjected.

"…takes you out. And he has the money to do it!"

"Bella, calm down," Edward said, petting my hair.

"Don't you tell me to calm down! You did this to me! I swear on all that's holy, Edward Cullen. If you ever want another child again, I suggest you take your billions and figure out a way to have one yourself!"

Edward laughed a little and turned to the nurse. "I'm sorry…she isn't always like this. She's just…hungry."

You're damn right I was hungry. During my fifth month, I was cursed with gestational diabetes. Even now, I wondered if Edward had had anything to do with my results. The minute he learned I was carrying his child, he kept trying to push healthy crap down my throat. It would lead to some pretty intense all-out wars some days. But Edward and I had a trick for whenever our fighting grew too great. Before I would run off and do something stupid, or Edward would make the mistake of saying something stupid, we had agreed that, no matter the fight, we would pause and have sex. There were some great compromises that came from those post-coital minutes.

But when I was damned and told that I had gestational diabetes, Edward made it his mission to see that I stuck to the strict regimen. I hadn't had a full chocolate bar in nearly four months! I was more than willing to take the insulin if it meant I could have a proper cheeseburger…with the whole bun. But Edward did everything he could to see that my numbers stayed safe.

"You promised me, remember? You said you'd send out for chicken McNuggets and a venti Frappuccino the second this kid was out of me! You promised me!"

I was crying frantically, however feeling great relief that another contraction had passed.

"The moment the doctor tells me it's okay…"

"NO! You said…oh goddammit!"

So much for the relief. Edward held onto my hand and attempted to get me to breathe to that stupid Lamaze rhythm that didn't do shit.

"Okay, we're ready for a trial of labor. Let's get you into position to push."

Suddenly, the room was flooded with people, and my legs were being pushed up into stirrups. My good girl was on display for the whole world. It was a good thing I wasn't the virgin, because I might have been shy.

Edward and I had agreed that we wanted to be surprised on the gender. I know. It was surprising that I would ever want that, especially since I was the kind of person who would go on and read spoiler alerts before seeing a movie or TV show, but there was something kind of fun about not knowing, and seeing Edward's face the moment they announced it would be worth it.

Pushing a baby out felt like taking a hard, massive dump. The pain of it coming out was excruciating, but then there was instant relief once it passed. I could hear the baby crying, and my heart stopped, waiting to hear the announcement.

"It's a healthy girl!"

"Oh, thank god!" Edward sighed in relief. "Bella, we have a daughter!"

He peppered me with kisses, as I finally was able to take in the sight of her. I couldn't believe this tiny person had come out of me. She was placed on my chest, and I was in awe and instantly in love. I didn't even know anything else going on, because in that moment, Edward, baby girl and I, we were a family.

"Are you happy?" I asked Edward.

"I could never be happier."

"Even though she's not a boy? A boy to carry on your family name and do all that guy stuff with?"

Edward smiled. "I'm relieved. Especially after all the hell you put me through with coming up with boy names."

I made a face. "I don't know what your problem was. Maximillian is a completely respectable name that many people have."

"Bella, you didn't want to call him Maximillian. You wanted to name him Maxibillion," Edward argued.

"Well, I didn't want him to lie every time he was to give his name."

Edward reached over and kissed our beautiful girl, before bringing his lips to mine.

"Thank you. You never gave up on me, and you've made me happier every single day of our lives. Thank you for this gift."

I looked down at her and watched with a smile, as her little lips pouted perfectly.

"So, what are we going to name her? We still haven't decided on a name."

Edward ran his hand over her head. "How about…Annie?"

I laughed. "I don't know. Annie goes from rags to riches, and this girl, I have a feeling, will never know what rags are."

"Well, we did talk about Renee," Edward reminded.

I paused for a minute and then felt tears overwhelm me.

"I know…what if we named her Jacey? In honor of Jacob. We can call her Jay. It's because of him that she's here. Jacey Renee Cullen?"

Edward's face lit up. "It's perfect."

I used to worry about not having ambition or a direction to go in. The minute Jay was born, it all became very clear to me. I never had thoughts of a future career, because I was meant to be a stay-at-home mother. I didn't want to be away from my family. I loved every second of being with my daughter and Edward.

Edward was happier for my decision, too, and a little too relieved, when I expressed my desire to stay at home and raise our child. I never wanted him to think I was using him for his money, finding a way to leech off him and his hard work. But being a stay-at-home mom was harder than any job I'd ever had, and that included fishing worms out of a barrel for the customers of Newman's.

The hospital suite I had given birth in was turned into a low-income-family charity. Any woman giving birth in that room would never have to worry about the possible high hospital bill. All bills were sent to The Cullen Conglomerate. We named the room "The Jacob Black Safe Harbor Suite."

I knew I had asked for Edward to continue with searching for a cure for cancer, but after our daughter was born, I made him promise he would never place himself in any possible danger from being in close quarters with any chemical that might cause him harm or death. He was hoping to eventually find someone he could trust to pass on his knowledge to who wouldn't turn over any information to a terrorist organization. Hopefully, one day, we could find that person.

Jay was what I had needed my whole life. She gave me purpose. I used to fear being a mother, afraid I would screw it up, but I had learned that, when you had a true partner, there was nothing to be afraid of. Every trial I would ever go through, Edward would be there by my side. There was nothing to ever be afraid of again…well, except for childbirth. That shit fucking hurt!

* * *

 **AN: Again, a huge thank you for taking the time to read and review. This has been one of the best journeys I have taken with these characters. I hope you were entertained. Hoping to see you for my newest story, whenever and whatever that may be...**

THANK YOU TO DOLLYBIGMOMMA FOR EDITING.


	32. Chapter 32

**A DOD FUTURE PEEK**

 **As seen by Dollybigmomma :)**

I had always thought the term "Irish twins" sounded cute. However, I hadn't ever heard the term "Irish triplets." Some asshole had been holding out on me.

Edward had been adamant about waiting the full six weeks to have sex again, after my checkup and establishment of a birth control method. But a bad couple of days of colicky baby girl, post-partem hormone hell, and the realization that my belly now jiggled had me in hysterics a month after giving birth. The only thing that would calm me down was my husband's loving reassurance that he still found me sexy. I'd insisted he prove it, and against his better judgement, he had given in. _Note to self: Nursing does not equal birth control. Also, lack of a period does not equal lack of ovulation. Damn it._

I about fainted dead away when, once again, Edward came flying into the bathroom a couple of weeks later to tell me he had gotten another one of those goddamn texts on his phone that I was pregnant. Had he not pulled the bathroom scale from my hands and held me back, his high-tech toilet would have been a pile of pulverized porcelain that day.

An ultrasound at six weeks revealed that Edward had hit a double-header, as two little flashing heartbeats pumped away on the screen. I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, until I saw Edward's face. His eyes were bright with tears, and even though he was smiling and looked happy, he also looked terrified. That made two of us.

After Jay had been born, my happy hole had not been quite as tight as before, so I had been okay with the planned C-Section of our twins. No need to be able to park a damn Buick in the four-car garage my hoo-hah would have become had I squeezed those two watermelon-sized crania out of it. Cullen kids tended to have big heads, likely to hold those huge super brains they were blessed with.

Estelle Rosanne Cullen and Carter Emerson Cullen were born slightly early, but they were perfectly healthy, beautiful and enough of a draw that Oregon no longer held any appeal for Grandma and Grandpa Cullen. Soon after the twins were born, Edward's parents had bought an estate a few miles from us and now lived close by, always at the ready for grandparent duty.

Alice and Jasper had also moved back stateside to the Seattle area, and they were busy trying to boost the population of Washington state themselves. After their third daughter was born, Jasper had been ready to hang up his saddle, and he'd had a vasectomy. Apparently, not fast enough, though, because Alice gave birth to baby number four, a little boy who was a carbon copy of his daddy. Poor kid had it rough, though, and I wouldn't be surprised if he developed either an aversion or an affinity for pink and ruffles, given how much of it his older sisters dressed him in for fun. Hey, variety being the spice of life and all that…

Rosalie and Emmett had decided that two kids were all they could handle, so they stopped at their two little boys. Wise choice, since those two boys were like having a houseful with how rowdy they were. Rose had to use harnesses and leads on them anywhere they went, because they tended to take off on her and cause chaos and destruction in stores. Hey, I didn't judge. Better safe than sued, I always believed.

One of the biggest surprises was what happened with Angela. Baby Ben's father, Benjamin Cheney, had ended up being from a wealthy family and was loaded. Angela never knew. Shortly after baby Ben had been kidnapped, his father had been killed in a motorcycle accident. Angela had been devastated. She confessed that she had always hoped he would come around and be a father to his son, but he had never shown any further interest in fulfilling his obligations and had even fought paying child support.

After Benjamin's death, his family found out about baby Ben and came to support Angela and her son, who was the spitting image of his father. Benjamin's older brother, Brian, was the attorney who processed Benjamin's estate, and he made sure the bulk of it went to baby Ben and Angela. The two struck up a friendship, which turned into a romance. That led to a wedding and a couple more siblings for baby Ben.

Angela still insisted on working for Edward, though, even after she had the means to stay home with her kids. She loved her job, and Edward could trust her to keep him organized without driving him nuts. Edward had me expand the inhouse daycare to include an afterschool program for older kids, and I would confess to using it occasionally, so I could visit Edward at lunchtime for some penthouse playtime. He was still more than willing to provide services anytime I needed him, and I never had another thought of buying any plastic substitutes. They could never compare to my hot husband, anyway.

Once our kids were all in school, I decided to complete my own education. Edward always assured me I was smart and more than capable of doing anything I wanted to, but damn, I had forgotten how hard school could be, and I had certainly gotten rusty. Once I got into the swing of it, though, it didn't take me long to complete my GED, and then I started small and enrolled in a few online courses in early childhood development. I wanted to be a good example for my kids, so between bedtime stories, PTA meetings, dance recitals, and little league ballgames, I studied. It took me a few years, but when I walked across the stage at UDub to accept my diploma, I held my head up and smiled proudly. I had an entire cheering section, and I could hear my husband louder than anyone, clapping and whistling, as I waved to them from the stage. His pride in me meant more than anything.

Our three kids ended up being chips off the old block, as they all took after their father in intelligence and ambition. Jay, Estelle and Carter were now in medical school, studying to become oncologists, each specializing in different areas. Once they heard the story of how close their father had come to finding a cure for cancer, they were determined to continue his work, without the deadly aspect, thank god. I had enough gray hairs coming in these days without my kids making me go totally silver due to worry. Edward planned to pass on his work to them, and they promised to be safe and responsible with it.

Edward and I were currently on a big boat, heading back to South America for our twenty-fifth anniversary. We were out on the deck, soaking up the warmth and fresh sea breeze underneath our sun canopy. Both of us were whiter than rice, being from the less-sunny northwest, so sunburn was not on our agenda.

Edward was lying on his stomach beside me on a double lounger, his perfect ass right where I could enjoy the view. The man was still an anal worrywart when it came to what he ate and exercising, so even though he was in his early fifties, he didn't look a damn day over thirty-nine.

I had begrudgingly relented and given up my junk food habit and avoidance of working out, because I didn't want to look like a fat, frumpy frog next to my handsome, hunky husband. Time, hormones and pregnancy had done a number on me, so I had to work at it now to keep up with Edward. He was a great trainer, though, and only he could join me in my favorite aerobic workout. If only the walls of his gym could talk…

"You're staring at my ass again, aren't you?" Edward mumbled, his eyes still closed.

"You know it," I smirked.

He raised up dragged me under him, plucking off my sunglasses. "Happy anniversary, Mrs. Cullen. We have a few more hours before we dock in Buenos Aires. Anything you'd like to do between now and then?"

"You," I hummed, pulling his lips to mine.

Edward reached up and unsnapped the straps that retained the rolled-up flaps of the canopy, letting them drop around us, blocking us from view of anyone else on the boat.

"I'll get right on that," he purred, and he did.

I couldn't get enough of this man, and I knew I never would. I was certainly looking forward to getting all of him, though, for the rest of our lives.

* * *

 **AN:** For so long it took a lot for me to want to trust another person to edit my stories. I worried that a "beta" would try and change how I wrote or would be more of an inconvenience than help. I never thought I would trust one to write a whole chapter! I loved this story. I still think of it when I write and think of how much fun I had when I was writing it. When DOLLYBIGMOMMA took on the task of going through and editing the whole thing, I wondered what I did to deserve her. She has been a great partner to work with and I loved her dedication and ability to add onto this story using the same voice I did when I wrote it. Thank you DOLLYBIGMOMMA for all your hard work, time and dedication to Degrees of Deception.


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